On August 12, 1995, at 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N3254C, was substantially damaged after nosing over during landing at the Dare County Airport, in Manteo, North Carolina. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight departed Greensboro, North Carolina, at 1130 hours. According to the pilot, he was enroute to Dare County Airport to refuel. As he approached the airport, he realized that the aircraft was lower on fuel than he initially thought. He radioed a fuel emergency for Dare County Airport, and proceeded to the most direct runway. The airplane touched down long on runway 34, and rolled off the runway into an area that the pilot thought was part of the runway. As the airplane rolled off the paved surface into the sod, the airplane nosed over. No mechanical problems were reported with the airplane.