What happened
The aircraft departed from the end of Runway D while attempting to abort its takeoff roll. During the initial phase of the maneuver, the nose gear collapsed under the stress of the high-speed stop or uneven surface contact. This structural failure caused the aircraft to pitch forward violently, resulting in a nosing-over incident that ended with the aircraft resting on its fuselage and wings.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events leading up to the collapse of the landing gear. They determined that the pilot had configured the aircraft incorrectly for the specific runway conditions. Instead of deploying the recommended 20 degrees of flaps required for a soft field takeoff, the pilot had only lowered 10 degrees. This insufficient flap setting likely contributed to the excessive speed or improper rotation characteristics needed to safely utilize the available runway length.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the improper configuration of the aircraft for the specific operational environment. The pilot failed to follow standard procedures for soft field takeoffs, which mandate a higher degree of flap extension to optimize lift and control at lower speeds. Additionally, the pilot utilized approximately half of the 2200-foot runway before initiating the abort procedures, leaving insufficient distance to stop safely given the mechanical limitations imposed by the nose gear collapse.
probable_cause: The pilot's failure to extend the flaps to the recommended 20 degrees for a soft field takeoff, which contributed to the loss of control and subsequent nosing over after an aborted takeoff.