What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
High sink rate on final and too low. Nose gear hit barbed wire fence. Short final. Hit ground. Bent nose gear. (-23) on April 11, 1997, a ramp inspection of erco-415-C, N3263H, revealed that one of the propeller blades was bent in a rearwind position. The damage to the propeller is indicative of a wheels up landing. This was confirmed when further examination of the airplane revealed that the nose strut had been pushed into a rearward position. During the interview, the pilot stated that during his approach, the airplane struck the top half of a barb wire fence, tore down another barb wire fence that divided the road from the runway, at that moment the nosegear impacted the ground, the aircraft then proceeded to veer slightly to the right and stopped nose down approximately 325 feet from the impact. No witnesses to the accident could be found.
As the FAA filed it
HIGH SINK RATE ON FINAL AND TOO LOW. NOSE GEAR HIT BARBED WIRE FENCE. SHORT FINAL. HIT GROUND. BENT NOSE GEAR. (-23) ON APRIL 11, 1997, A RAMP INSPECTION OF ERCO-415-C, N3263H, REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WAS BENT IN A REARWIND POSITION. THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER IS INDICATIVE OF A WHEELS UP LANDING. THIS WAS CONFIRMED WHEN FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE NOSE STRUT HAD BEEN PUSHED INTO A REARWARD POSITION. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING HIS APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOP HALF OF A BARB WIRE FENCE, TORE DOWN ANOTHER BARB WIRE FENCE THAT DIVIDED THE ROAD FROM THE RUNWAY, AT THAT MOMENT THE NOSEGEAR IMPACTED THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED TO VEER SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AND STOPPED NOSE DOWN APPROXIMATELY 325 FEET FROM THE IMPACT. NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT COULD BE FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.