What happened
The pilot reported that he executed a precautionary landing on a remote airstrip after noticing smoke and an odor of burnt oil emanating from the engine compartment. Upon inspecting the aircraft after landing, he determined that the source of the odor was spilled oil on the exhaust system. Deciding to continue the flight, he elected to take off again.
During the ground run of the takeoff, specifically after raising the tail dragger, the aircraft veered to the right. It subsequently went through brush and encountered uneven terrain before nosing over. No pre-accident mechanical malfunction or failure was reported by the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the accident. The pilot's report indicated that the initial concern was smoke and an odor of burnt oil from the engine compartment. After landing, the pilot identified spilled oil on the exhaust as the source of the odor.
During the subsequent takeoff attempt, the aircraft veered to the right after the tail dragger was raised. The aircraft then went through brush and encountered uneven terrain before nosing over. No pre-accident mechanical malfunction or failure was reported.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's decision to take off again after detecting smoke and an odor of burnt oil, and the subsequent loss of directional control during the takeoff ground run. The aircraft veered to the right, went through brush, and encountered uneven terrain before nosing over.
No pre-accident mechanical malfunction or failure was reported by the pilot. The accident occurred during the takeoff phase of flight.