Narrative:

I was flying a recently purchased cessna 172 from vgt airport to 01V, co, with a refueling stop scheduled at fmn, NM. WX was forecast as high clouds with isolated thunderstorms in nv, southern ut and northern az, clearing into NM with surface winds increasing in the fmn area after XA00 local. Upon arrival at fmn the winds were already 20 gusting to 40 KTS from 100-120 degrees. Final approach to runway 7, the active was bumpy but not excessive. A wind shear was expected. At 500 ft AGL, the wind was reported as 100 degrees at 20 KTS. Touchdown was normal and fairly smooth with no drift. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft pitched nose up, and jumped 10-15 ft above the runway apparently caught in a severe gust or shear. I applied immediate power to attempt a go around but the nose fell (an apparent stall) and the aircraft struck the ground on the nosewheel which collapsed. This incident was certainly caused by the wind conditions. The WX forecast was not that bad and the actual wind at the time I was on final was not that exceptional. Could I have chosen another route or waited another week? (I had already delayed the flight 2 weeks because of the WX). Certainly. This is the first time I have ever 'scratched the paint' in 45 yrs of flying. It is certainly ego- smashing. Does thousands of hours of airline flying in large jets make one complacent? I don't know. I don't think I was complacent. I'm not sure how, or even if, this incident could have been avoided. And yet I'm not satisfied.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OLD AIRLINE TYPE EXPERIENCES A LOSS OF ACFT CTL DURING LNDG PROC AT FMN. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A RECENTLY PURCHASED CESSNA 172 FROM VGT ARPT TO 01V, CO, WITH A REFUELING STOP SCHEDULED AT FMN, NM. WX WAS FORECAST AS HIGH CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED TSTMS IN NV, SOUTHERN UT AND NORTHERN AZ, CLRING INTO NM WITH SURFACE WINDS INCREASING IN THE FMN AREA AFTER XA00 LCL. UPON ARR AT FMN THE WINDS WERE ALREADY 20 GUSTING TO 40 KTS FROM 100-120 DEGS. FINAL APCH TO RWY 7, THE ACTIVE WAS BUMPY BUT NOT EXCESSIVE. A WIND SHEAR WAS EXPECTED. AT 500 FT AGL, THE WIND WAS RPTED AS 100 DEGS AT 20 KTS. TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL AND FAIRLY SMOOTH WITH NO DRIFT. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT PITCHED NOSE UP, AND JUMPED 10-15 FT ABOVE THE RWY APPARENTLY CAUGHT IN A SEVERE GUST OR SHEAR. I APPLIED IMMEDIATE PWR TO ATTEMPT A GAR BUT THE NOSE FELL (AN APPARENT STALL) AND THE ACFT STRUCK THE GND ON THE NOSEWHEEL WHICH COLLAPSED. THIS INCIDENT WAS CERTAINLY CAUSED BY THE WIND CONDITIONS. THE WX FORECAST WAS NOT THAT BAD AND THE ACTUAL WIND AT THE TIME I WAS ON FINAL WAS NOT THAT EXCEPTIONAL. COULD I HAVE CHOSEN ANOTHER RTE OR WAITED ANOTHER WK? (I HAD ALREADY DELAYED THE FLT 2 WKS BECAUSE OF THE WX). CERTAINLY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER 'SCRATCHED THE PAINT' IN 45 YRS OF FLYING. IT IS CERTAINLY EGO- SMASHING. DOES THOUSANDS OF HRS OF AIRLINE FLYING IN LARGE JETS MAKE ONE COMPLACENT? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T THINK I WAS COMPLACENT. I'M NOT SURE HOW, OR EVEN IF, THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. AND YET I'M NOT SATISFIED.

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.