Small aircraft flying low over water hits wing and damages nose gear.

Attributes
ACN	280237
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ilm
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2500
ASRS Report	280237
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off from ilm for a pleasure and fish spotting flight. Over open water approximately 1/2 SM offshore from an uninhabited beach between wrightsville beach, nc, and carolina beach, nc, I was maintaining an altitude of approximately 700 ft (altimeter MSL). I then descended to approximately 50 ft (AGL-estimated) and then made a left turn. During the turn I encountered a downdraft which resulted in the left wingtip grazing the water. This pitched the nose gear into a wave. I climbed to 1300 ft (MSL) and looked out the window to inspect the nose gear. It appeared to be damaged. I requested that ilm tower inspect the nose gear while I did a flyby. The tower informed me that the nose gear was still attached but was bent backwards. I was cleared to land on runway 35. I made a good landing on the main wheels and held the nose gear off the ground until the airplane had slowed to a minimum speed. A damaged nose gear resulted in propeller damage. There was no damage to the wing except that the running light on the wingtip was cracked. The incident was due to sudden downdraft over open water.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING LOW OVER WATER HITS WING AND DAMAGES NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM ILM FOR A PLEASURE AND FISH SPOTTING FLT. OVER OPEN WATER APPROX 1/2 SM OFFSHORE FROM AN UNINHABITED BEACH BTWN WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC, AND CAROLINA BEACH, NC, I WAS MAINTAINING AN ALT OF APPROX 700 FT (ALTIMETER MSL). I THEN DSNDED TO APPROX 50 FT (AGL-ESTIMATED) AND THEN MADE A L TURN. DURING THE TURN I ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT WHICH RESULTED IN THE L WINGTIP GRAZING THE WATER. THIS PITCHED THE NOSE GEAR INTO A WAVE. I CLBED TO 1300 FT (MSL) AND LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO INSPECT THE NOSE GEAR. IT APPEARED TO BE DAMAGED. I REQUESTED THAT ILM TWR INSPECT THE NOSE GEAR WHILE I DID A FLYBY. THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL ATTACHED BUT WAS BENT BACKWARDS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 35. I MADE A GOOD LNDG ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND HELD THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE GND UNTIL THE AIRPLANE HAD SLOWED TO A MINIMUM SPD. A DAMAGED NOSE GEAR RESULTED IN PROP DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE WING EXCEPT THAT THE RUNNING LIGHT ON THE WINGTIP WAS CRACKED. THE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO SUDDEN DOWNDRAFT OVER OPEN WATER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.