Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's misjudgment of altitude and distance on short final. A factor was the wet and soft terrain short of the runway threshold.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During an attempt to land at his 800-foot private strip, the pilot touched down about 20 feet short of the runway. The terrain just short of the threshold was soft and wet, and the aircraft nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On February 11, 1996, approximately 1740 Pacific standard time (PST), a Stinson 108-3, N417DW, nosed over while landing at a private airstrip near Hubbard, Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which departed Newberg, Oregon about 10 minutes earlier, was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, he was attempting to land at his 800 foot turf airstrip, when he inadvertently touched down about 20 feet short of the runway. The aircraft nosed over when it contacted the soft mud off the approach end of the runway. -