Cessna 172, N1805Y: Accident occurred August 15, 2015 in Venice, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final Report: http://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 

NTSB Identification: CEN15LA371
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, August 15, 2015 in Venice, LA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/16/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 172C, registration: N1805Y
Injuries: 1 Minor, 1 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The private pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight. The pilot reported that, while the airplane was on landing approach with 20 degrees of flaps, an indicated airspeed of 60 mph, and a descent rate of 200 ft per minute, he saw a small rain squall 2 miles south of the airstrip, which was producing a light-to-moderate crosswind. Just before the airplane entered ground effect, its airspeed dropped, and the pilot then applied full power; however, the airplane touched down at the approach end of the runway, which was soft and muddy. The nose gear subsequently sank into the soft ground, and the airplane slid to a stop.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to attain a safe landing approach airspeed with a crosswind.

On August 15, 2015, about 1130 central daylight time a Cessna 172C, N1805Y, nosed down after touching down on a soggy portion of the runway at Port Eads Airstrip, Venice, Louisiana. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated Diamondhead, Mississippi, about 1030 and was destined for Port Eads.

In his accident report, the pilot said while he was on landing approach with 20 degrees of flaps, 60 miles per hour indicated airspeed, and a 200 feet per minute rate of descent, he said he saw a small [rain] squall two miles south of the airstrip producing a light to moderate crosswind. Just before entering ground effect, he noticed a drop in airspeed and he applied full power. The airplane touched down at the lower end of the runway which was soggy. The nose gear sank in the soft ground and the airplane slid to a stop. Post-accident examination has revealed a damaged wing spar and buckled firewall. The pilot's written statement given to the Federal Aviation Administration corroborated his accident report.

AIRCRAFT: 1962 Cessna 172 SN# 17249405 N1805Y

ENGINE:       Continental O-300-C  SN# 27509-D O-C

PROPELLER: McCauley 1C172EM7653

APPROXIMATE TOTAL HOURS (estimated TT & TSMO from logbooks or other information):

ENGINE:  TT unknown    179 SMOH (undocumented OH in 2001)

PROPELLER: 2543 TTSN -  251 SMOH in 1998                      

AIRFRAME:  2,543 TTAF                    

OTHER EQUIPMENT:  VAL 760 Com, KX175B, Apollo 604, Narco AT-150

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT:  On 8/15/2015 the aircraft experienced a hard nose first landing breaking off the nose gear.
   
DESCRIPTION OF DAMAGES:    Nose gear snapped off, firewall and engine mount damage.  Propeller bent with sudden stoppage, lower cowl crushed, left wing damaged with damage to wing attachments.

LOCATION OF AIRCRAFT:    Southern Aircraft Recover in Baton Rouge, LA        

REMARKS:  Aircraft has been dismantled for recovery and transport to storage.

Read more here:    http://www.avclaims.com/N1805Y.htm