What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilots statement of accident involving cherokee 235, PA28-235, tail# N9097W, serial #28-10707
Date, time, location: tues 10 dec 2019, approx 1:10 EST, rwy 24 at klou
Summary: I was piloting N9097W on a VFR flight originating at kbwg cruise altitude 3,500 MSL to klou via bwg. I contacted lou appr on 132.07 to obtain radar service to klou. I was assigned a squawk code and a heading of 040 at ewo. I proceeded as such until descended to 2,500 MSL and assigned direct to klou. Weather was VFR, some light buffeting by wind and a wind out of nw at about 26KTS according to flyq on my EFB. When I reported lou in sight, I was directed to contact Bowman tower on 119.5.
I contacted Bowman tower and reported a 3 mile left base position and advised that I was cleared for visual on 24. I began descent to pattern altitude, began before landing procedures, and speed reduction.
I turned to final with plane in landing configuration, reducing speed and descending on the VASI descent guidance with no irregular indications of plane operation. Info z was present with cir, 10 vis winds 280@7. I set up to land at approach speed with slight cross wind landing configuration and descended to within gnd effect of rwy 24 and began to flare nose for landing when the nose of the plane jerked down and I was unable to physically control the yoke and impacted the pavement of rwy 24 with the nose gear.
N9097W suffered a collapsed nose gear, bent prop tips, right wing broke lateral to right main fuel cell, and ended tail up at about a 30 degree angle. The plane was at a speed just above stall light blinking so impact did not produce any bodily injury to me. The plane came to rest at about the runway aiming point to the left of the runway center line with nose gear and left main gear in grass and right main wheel still on runway. No airport property was damaged or any other vehicle.
I secured the plane's fuel tanks, power and exited the aircraft. It was noted by one of the arriving personnel on ground that the elevator was locked in place. There was no gust lock as the plane does not have one. I could not understand the uncommanded sudden nose down of the plane when I tried to flare for a normal landing.
The FAA operation inspector arrived, began surveying the occurrence and the airport personnel began cleanup operations and clearing the runway. I was debriefed and my pilot documents evaluated. The plane was towed to a secure hangar in the west ts at Bowman Airport where it is today Wednesday 11 dec 2019.
Statement of accident prepared by ^joseph d. lyvers^ on 11 dec 2019
As the FAA filed it
PILOTS STATEMENT OF ACCIDENT INVOLVING CHEROKEE 235, PA28-235, TAIL# N9097W, SERIAL #28-10707
DATE, TIME, LOCATION: TUES 10 DEC 2019, APPROX 1:10 EST, RWY 24 AT KLOU
SUMMARY: I WAS PILOTING N9097W ON A VFR FLIGHT ORIGINATING AT KBWG CRUISE ALTITUDE 3,500 MSL TO KLOU VIA BWG. I CONTACTED LOU APPR ON 132.07 TO OBTAIN RADAR SERVICE TO KLOU. I WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE AND A HEADING OF 040 AT EWO. I PROCEEDED AS SUCH UNTIL DESCENDED TO 2,500 MSL AND ASSIGNED DIRECT TO KLOU. WEATHER WAS VFR, SOME LIGHT BUFFETING BY WIND AND A WIND OUT OF NW AT ABOUT 26KTS ACCORDING TO FLYQ ON MY EFB. WHEN I REPORTED LOU IN SIGHT, I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT BOWMAN TOWER ON 119.5.
I CONTACTED BOWMAN TOWER AND REPORTED A 3 MILE LEFT BASE POSITION AND ADVISED THAT I WAS CLEARED FOR VISUAL ON 24. I BEGAN DESCENT TO PATTERN ALTITUDE, BEGAN BEFORE LANDING PROCEDURES, AND SPEED REDUCTION.
I TURNED TO FINAL WITH PLANE IN LANDING CONFIGURATION, REDUCING SPEED AND DESCENDING ON THE VASI DESCENT GUIDANCE WITH NO IRREGULAR INDICATIONS OF PLANE OPERATION. INFO Z WAS PRESENT WITH CIR, 10 VIS WINDS 280@7. I SET UP TO LAND AT APPROACH SPEED WITH SLIGHT CROSS WIND LANDING CONFIGURATION AND DESCENDED TO WITHIN GND EFFECT OF RWY 24 AND BEGAN TO FLARE NOSE FOR LANDING WHEN THE NOSE OF THE PLANE JERKED DOWN AND I WAS UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY CONTROL THE YOKE AND IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT OF RWY 24 WITH THE NOSE GEAR.
N9097W SUFFERED A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR, BENT PROP TIPS, RIGHT WING BROKE LATERAL TO RIGHT MAIN FUEL CELL, AND ENDED TAIL UP AT ABOUT A 30 DEGREE ANGLE. THE PLANE WAS AT A SPEED JUST ABOVE STALL LIGHT BLINKING SO IMPACT DID NOT PRODUCE ANY BODILY INJURY TO ME. THE PLANE CAME TO REST AT ABOUT THE RUNWAY AIMING POINT TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTER LINE WITH NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR IN GRASS AND RIGHT MAIN WHEEL STILL ON RUNWAY. NO AIRPORT PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE.
I SECURED THE PLANE'S FUEL TANKS, POWER AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS NOTED BY ONE OF THE ARRIVING PERSONNEL ON GROUND THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS LOCKED IN PLACE. THERE WAS NO GUST LOCK AS THE PLANE DOES NOT HAVE ONE. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE UNCOMMANDED SUDDEN NOSE DOWN OF THE PLANE WHEN I TRIED TO FLARE FOR A NORMAL LANDING.
THE FAA OPERATION INSPECTOR ARRIVED, BEGAN SURVEYING THE OCCURRENCE AND THE AIRPORT PERSONNEL BEGAN CLEANUP OPERATIONS AND CLEARING THE RUNWAY. I WAS DEBRIEFED AND MY PILOT DOCUMENTS EVALUATED. THE PLANE WAS TOWED TO A SECURE HANGAR IN THE WEST TS AT BOWMAN AIRPORT WHERE IT IS TODAY WEDNESDAY 11 DEC 2019.
STATEMENT OF ACCIDENT PREPARED BY ^JOSEPH D. LYVERS^ ON 11 DEC 2019
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