Cessna 172E N3513S accident near Apex, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway, which resulted in a runway overrun and subsequent aircraft noseover.

NTSB analysis

Immediately after the accident, the pilot reported to the responding police officer that he landed “hot,” and “overshot” the 1,950-foot-long turf runway. The airplane overran the departure end of the runway, struck a ditch, nosed over, and came to rest inverted with substantial damage to the wings, empennage, and tail section of the airplane. Interpolation of the airplane manufacturer’s landing distance chart revealed that the required landing distance over a 50-foot obstacle was approximately 1,300 feet. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA393 for the full record.