Incident Overview
During the landing roll, a truck unexpectedly entered the runway, prompting the pilot to steer the aircraft to the right. This evasive action directed the aircraft toward banner towing equipment located on the airfield. To avoid colliding with the equipment, the pilot applied the brakes while the aircraft's tail wheel was still off the ground. The aircraft slowed but then nosed over onto its back.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft had just touched down and was proceeding along the runway during the landing roll. Suddenly, a truck appeared on the runway ahead, having pulled onto the pavement. The pilot, recognizing the danger, quickly turned the aircraft to the right. This maneuver caused the aircraft to become aligned with banner towing equipment that was situated on the airfield. With the equipment directly ahead and the aircraft still moving, the pilot applied the brakes. However, because the tail wheel had not yet made contact with the ground, the application of brakes caused the aircraft's nose to drop and the tail to rise, resulting in the aircraft nosing over onto its back.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if she had added power and released the brakes just before the nose-over occurred.