Definition
An event in which the airplane tips forward onto its nose or propeller while on the ground, typically caused by the nosewheel or main wheels digging into soft, muddy, or uneven surface, or by excessive braking. In a tricycle-gear airplane, a nose-over can damage the propeller, engine mounts, and firewall; in a tailwheel airplane it can flip the aircraft onto its back.
Plain English
The airplane pitches forward on the ground far enough that the propeller or nose strikes the surface, sometimes ending up on its back.
Context Anchor
Used in soft-field taxi, takeoff, and landing discussions, especially when the pilot is trying to keep the nosewheel light on sand, mud, grass, or snow.
Derivation
In aviation, the nose is the front of the airplane. Over means tipping forward past the normal position. Together, nose over describes the airplane rotating forward around its wheels so the nose drops toward the ground.
Why Pilots Care
A nose over can damage the propeller, engine, and airframe and may cause injury; proper soft-field technique keeps weight off the nose wheel to avoid it.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as simply lowering the nose a little. In this context, nose over means an unwanted forward tip that can put the nose or propeller into the ground.
Example Sentence 1
On a soft-field takeoff, hold the yoke back to keep weight off the nosewheel and reduce the chance of a nose over.
Example Sentence 2
A sudden dip in the runway surface caught the tailwheel aircraft and caused it to nose over before the pilot could react.