SEA94LA075

While on short final to the 2,100 foot long airstrip, the aircraft entered a downdraft as it passed over a river. The increased rate of descent, which began while in the downdraft, continued to the point of touchdown. The aircraft then experienced a very hard three-point landing, at which time the nose gear fork sheared from the strut. The aircraft bounced back into the air, and touched down a second time, landing on the main gear. When the pilot lowered the nose gear to the runway, the nose gear strut dug into the soft earth, and the aircraft nosed over.

On March 6, 1994, approximately 1200 mountain standard time (MST), a Cessna 175A, N6995E, nosed over during the landing roll at Thomas Creek Airstrip, Stanley, Idaho. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The personal pleasure flight, which departed Friedman Memorial Airport, Hailey, Idaho about 1115 MST, was operating in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot-rated passenger, while the aircraft was on short final, it entered a downdraft while passing over a river. While in the downdraft, the aircraft picked up a high rate of descent, resulting in an excessively hard three-point touchdown. The aircraft bounced back into the air, and settled back to the runway a second time, landing on the main gear. The pilot lowered the nose gear to the ground, at which time the nose gear strut dug into the soft earth, and the aircraft nosed over. According to the FAA inspector who responded to the scene of the accident, the nose gear strut sheared during the initial hard touchdown.