Incident Overview
Shortly after leveling off, the pilot reported that the engine began to run roughly. In response, all emergency procedures were followed, and a decision was made to perform a precautionary landing on a beach. The ambient temperature at the time was approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Landing and Overturn
As the aircraft touched down and rolled out across the sand, the nose wheel dug into the soft surface. This caused the aircraft to flip over. The exact sequence of events during the roll-out was consistent with the nose wheel encountering resistance from the sandy terrain.
Post-Accident Inspection
Following the incident, an inspection of the aircraft was conducted. It revealed that the flex duct responsible for supplying hot air to the carburetor when carburetor heat is applied had become disconnected. No other mechanical issues were noted in the source. The inspection did not specify whether the disconnection occurred before or during the flight.