IAD96LA054

The pilot reported that he returned to the departure airport after the carburetor heat control failed during the local flight. During landing, the airplane bounced two or three times. The pilot stated that on the last touchdown the nose gear collapsed, dug in, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The FAA inspector reported that the nose landing gear failure appeared to be the result of a very hard landing.

On March 27, 1996, at 1200 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N61546, nosed over and came to rest inverted after the nose gear collapsed while landing at McDonald Field, in Taplin, West Virginia. The certificated private pilot reported minor injuries, and the one passenger reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated in Taplin, West Virginia, at approximately 1045 eastern standard time.

The pilot stated that the local flight proceeded normally until about 1150, when he prepared to land at a nearby airport. He reported that as he "...reduced power and applied [carburetor] heat, the [carburetor] heat cable apparently separated from the heat control box...I decided to abort the landing...and headed back to McDonald."

The pilot reported that his approach to the turf runway was normal, but the airplane bounced "...two or three times..." during the landing. He stated that he "...decided not to go around, because I felt that the aircraft was in an unsafe condition...because of the inoperative [carburetor] heat." The pilot stated that on the third touchdown the nose gear collapsed, dug in, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that the nose wheel appeared to have failed and separated "...due to a very hard landing."