ATL05CA006

Factual narrative

On October 17, 2004, at 1858 central daylight time, a Cessna 177, N29459, registered to and operated by a private owner, collided with the runway during an attempted landing at Auburn Airport, Alabama. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot was uninjured. The flight departed Columbia Airport, Columbia, South Carolina, on October 17, 2004 at 1500. According to the pilot, while on short final to land on runway 36, he reach up to adjust his eyeglasses and one of the lenses fell out of the frame. The pilot reported that this event distracted him, and he "hit on the nosewheel" and collapsed the nose gear. Examination of the nose gear revealed the nose wheel broke away from the strut. The nose gear assembly was bent aft and the firewall as buckled. The pilot did not report any mechanical or flight control anomalies prior to the accident. According to the pilot, while on short final to land on runway 36, he reached up to adjust his glasses and one of the lenses fell out of the frame. The pilot reported that this event distracted him, and he landed the airplane hard on the nose wheel and collapsed the nose gear. Examination of the nose gear revealed the nose wheel broke away from the strut. The nose gear assembly was bent aft and the firewall as buckled. The pilot did not report any mechanical or flight control anomalies prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12