Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 17; Flight Crew Total 200; Flight Crew Type 20
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Human Factors; Airport
I was flying touch and goes in a Cessna Skycatcher 162 [on a turf runway]. After making two touch and goes in which the nose wheel never touched the ground I came in flying right traffic and was cleared for the option. On downwind something seemed different about the engine as I reduced power and after being cleared for the option I decided it would be a full stop. On short final flaps were set to full and power was set to idle. All speeds throughout the approach were normal and glide path was normal. Airplane was trimmed for a normal landing with minimal flare (as had been instructed to do by club CFI's). Recall stick slipping forward; unsure if it was just before touchdown or when mains touched down on the grass. Nose-wheel dug into the ground and heard it snap backwards. Held nose up as long as possible and then it settled down into the turf. Engine was still running as nose contacted the ground. I turned off the master and the fuel immediately and stepped out of the airplane. Walked back to the club office in the hangars and called the Tower on the landline. Stated I would walk out to meet with responders and be in contact with them later. Having a way for the Tower to communicate to pilots the actual state of the grass runway (how soft it is) could have helped to prevent this from occurring.
C162 pilot landing on a turf runway; makes two touch and go's during which the nose wheel never touches down. On the third landing (planned full stop) the aircraft nose pitches down on landing and the tire digs into the turf causing nose gear failure.