What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 13, 2006, at 1100 eastern daylight time, an experimental RV-6A, N57ME, registered to a private owner nosed over while landing at Miller airpark in Mooresville, north carolina (NC30). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged by impact. The pilot sustained minor injuries and was the only person onboard. The airplane departed from Miller airport (NC30) on a local flight. Witnesses stated that after touchdown on rwy 36, it looked like he hit a rabbit which caused his nose wheel (free castering) to turn sideways. PIC stated that he skipped slightly on touch down and that the next touch down was normal without any bounce. PIC also stated that the nose was held off normally per landing on grass and then lowered as the rollout continued. PIC stated that as the rollout continued, the nose started to drop and that he was unable to control the nose wheel. The nose wheel dug so deep in the grass that the aircraft nosed over on its back. Investigation of the aircraft occurred on site in Mooresville, NC. The first sign of ground scarring was 1000 feet from approach end of rwy 36. 3 feet east of the ground scarring beginning point was a 15 inch long dead rabbit. Aircraft came to rest on its back with the nose facing south, 1180 ft from the approach end of runway 36. The prop, nose wheel and both the vertical stabilizer and the top of the fuselage sustained substantial damage. Flight controls and connections were inspected and verified for continuity. Engine control continuity was also verified. Fuel was verified by looking into tanks. No airworthiness certificate or registration found in aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 13, 2006, AT 1100 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL RV-6A, N57ME, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER NOSED OVER WHILE LANDING AT MILLER AIRPARK IN MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (NC30). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY IMPACT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM MILLER AIRPORT (NC30) ON A LOCAL FLIGHT. WITNESSES STATED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON RWY 36, IT LOOKED LIKE HE HIT A RABBIT WHICH CAUSED HIS NOSE WHEEL (FREE CASTERING) TO TURN SIDEWAYS. PIC STATED THAT HE SKIPPED SLIGHTLY ON TOUCH DOWN AND THAT THE NEXT TOUCH DOWN WAS NORMAL WITHOUT ANY BOUNCE. PIC ALSO STATED THAT THE NOSE WAS HELD OFF NORMALLY PER LANDING ON GRASS AND THEN LOWERED AS THE ROLLOUT CONTINUED. PIC STATED THAT AS THE ROLLOUT CONTINUED, THE NOSE STARTED TO DROP AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE NOSE WHEEL. THE NOSE WHEEL DUG SO DEEP IN THE GRASS THAT THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK. INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT OCCURRED ON SITE IN MOORESVILLE, NC. THE FIRST SIGN OF GROUND SCARRING WAS 1000 FEET FROM APPROACH END OF RWY 36. 3 FEET EAST OF THE GROUND SCARRING BEGINNING POINT WAS A 15 INCH LONG DEAD RABBIT. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS BACK WITH THE NOSE FACING SOUTH, 1180 FT FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 36. THE PROP, NOSE WHEEL AND BOTH THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. FLIGHT CONTROLS AND CONNECTIONS WERE INSPECTED AND VERIFIED FOR CONTINUITY. ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ALSO VERIFIED. FUEL WAS VERIFIED BY LOOKING INTO TANKS. NO AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE OR REGISTRATION FOUND IN AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.