Incident Details
The purpose of the flight was to take photographs of an oil drilling rig. The pilot was unable to locate the rig and decided to land on a dirt road to speak with the driver of an oil company truck.
Sequence of Events
The pilot made three low passes over the road, which was oriented to the northwest and had a left curve beyond the intended touchdown point. During the initial phase of the landing roll, the pilot realized the aircraft would not be able to stop before the turn in the road, and there was insufficient room for a go-around. The aircraft went off the road at the curve, crossed a ditch, and flipped over.
Pilot's Statement
The pilot stated that he misjudged the landing distance since there was only a total landing distance of 630 feet from the first possible point of touchdown to the curve.