Primary finding
Probable cause
The reported pothole in the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The student pilot was on his third supervised solo flight. He stated that during the landing, '. The instant the nose wheel rolled down, it struck a large pothole in the runway. This broke the nose landing gear .' the student said he held the nose off the ground until the airplane slowed, then the propeller struck the runway surface, the remainder of the nose gear broke off, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest. Postaccident examination revealed no preimpact anomalies with the airplane. Additionally, the airport facility directory stated that the runway had 'wide cracks and weeds.'
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 9, 1995, about 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734CG, nosed over during the landing roll, at Stormville Airport, Stormville, New York. The student pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight was conducted as an instructional flight by Grass Hopper Flying Club Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Poughkeepsie, New York at 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and there was no flight plan. According to the flight instructor, this was the student pilot's third supervised solo. The student had completed the previous supervised solo flights satisfactorily. In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the student pilot stated, ...The approach was normal. I made a normal landing on the main landing gear. At the instant that the nose wheel rolled down, it struck a large pothole in the runway. This broke the nose landing gear.... The airplane came to rest nosed over near the departure end of the runway. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, postaccident examination revealed no anomalies with the engine or airframe. The nose gear bent in a rearward direction and the shock strut had not collapsed. Additionally, the Airport Facility Directory stated that the runway had wide cracks and weeds. -