What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Throttle disconnected on base. RPM struck at 2000. Tried land. Failed cut mags or mixture. Nosed over landing. (.4)the 51-hour student pilot entered the traffic pattern, and on downwind discovered engine RPM fixed at 2,000. He continued his approach to the 5,419 foot long runway, but made no attempt to shut the engine down once the runway was assured. Unable to stop the aircraft after touchdown, he then attempted a go-around maneuver and then a re-landing in a soft field where, once again, he made no attempt to shut the engine down once the landing field was assured. During the aircraft's movement across the soft field, the nose-gear assembly collapsed in overload and the aircraft nosed over. Post-crash examination revealed that the throttle cable had become disconnected at the throttle-to-carburetor adapter plate on the carburetor throttle arm. The bearing end of the throttle rod, as well as one of its retaining nuts, was absent, as was the bolt which passes through both the rod-end bearing, and the carburetor adapter plate. All three washers on this bolt, as well as I ts associated nut and cotter key, were also absent. Examination of the aircraft's airframe log revealed that the owner, a certificated mechanic, had removed and replaced the throttle cable 5.4 hours previous to the disconnect.
As the FAA filed it
THROTTLE DISCONNECTED ON BASE. RPM STRUCK AT 2000. TRIED LAND. FAILED CUT MAGS OR MIXTURE. NOSED OVER LANDING. (.4)THE 51-HOUR STUDENT PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND ON DOWNWIND DISCOVERED ENGINE RPM FIXED AT 2,000. HE CONTINUED HIS APPROACH TO THE 5,419 FOOT LONG RUNWAY, BUT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN ONCE THE RUNWAY WAS ASSURED. UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE THEN ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND MANEUVER AND THEN A RE-LANDING IN A SOFT FIELD WHERE, ONCE AGAIN, HE MADE NO ATTEMPT TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN ONCE THE LANDING FIELD WAS ASSURED. DURING THE AIRCRAFT'S MOVEMENT ACROSS THE SOFT FIELD, THE NOSE-GEAR ASSEMBLY COLLAPSED IN OVERLOAD AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED AT THE THROTTLE-TO-CARBURETOR ADAPTER PLATE ON THE CARBURETOR THROTTLE ARM. THE BEARING END OF THE THROTTLE ROD, AS WELL AS ONE OF ITS RETAINING NUTS, WAS ABSENT, AS WAS THE BOLT WHICH PASSES THROUGH BOTH THE ROD-END BEARING, AND THE CARBURETOR ADAPTER PLATE. ALL THREE WASHERS ON THIS BOLT, AS WELL AS I TS ASSOCIATED NUT AND COTTER KEY, WERE ALSO ABSENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S AIRFRAME LOG REVEALED THAT THE OWNER, A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC, HAD REMOVED AND REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE 5.4 HOURS PREVIOUS TO THE DISCONNECT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.