Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

The pilot reported that following an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross country flight, he canceled his IFR clearance, and made a visual approach to runway 26. He recalled that Tower told him that his airplane would be the last to land on runway 26, and he recalled that the inbound airplane behind him was vectored for an approach to runway 08. He reported that after landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid to the right side of the runway, and partially exited the runway before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts, firewall and fuselage bulkheads.

The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane and the accident scene, reported that during the landing the propeller struck the runway, the airplane bounced and settled back to the runway about 100 feet further down the runway where a second set of propeller blade strike markings were identified. The Inspector reported that the propeller blade strike markings were accompanied by black rubber skid marks that extended from the runway centerline and veered to the right edge of the runway. The Inspector reported that, the nose gear collapsed backwards as evidenced by white paint marks and metallic material scarring the asphalt. The airplane continued to veer to the right where it eventually departed the paved runway coming to a rest in the dirt. The Inspector confirmed that the distance from the initial propeller strike to the wreckage was about 735 feet.

The meteorological aerodrome report at the accident airport reported that the wind direction and distance about the time of the accident was 010 degrees true at 4 knots. The pilot's improper nose down pitch attitude during touchdown resulting in a propeller strike, hard bounced landing, and nose landing gear collapse.