N34655Cessna 177B · 1973

The pilot had planned to fly in the airport traffic pattern to practice takeoffs and landings. The pilot stated that during the first landing, after touchdown on the main wheels, he felt a “jolt” when the nosewheel came down and the airplane veered to the left and off the runway. To avoid a worker mowing in the vicinity, he initially applied the brakes and aft pressure on the control yoke in an attempt to slow the airplane. He then applied full right rudder and added power, and the airplane turned right, briefly became airborne as the airplane returned to the runway surface. The airplane then touched down “hard” on the nose landing gear and the pilot brought the airplane to a stop. The fuselage aft of the firewall was substantially damaged during the accident sequence.

The worker who was mowing reported that he saw the airplane “wobbling” as it approached the runway. He then stopped cutting the grass and moved the mower closer to the airport perimeter fence to stay out of the airplane’s way. He continued to watch the airplane and described that during the landing it contacted the runway and bounced three times before he saw the airplane’s nose hit the ground, after which he watched it exit the runway.