What happened
The pilot was operating a personal flight when the incident occurred during the landing roll. As the airplane decelerated on the runway, it began to swerve toward the left side of the pavement. The pilot reported that directional control was compromised because the rudder had become ineffective at the low airspeed. In an attempt to correct the deviation and stop the aircraft, the pilot applied the wheel brakes.
Before the airplane could come to a complete halt, the left main landing gear strut struck a runway light fixture embedded in the pavement. The impact caused the nose of the aircraft to pitch forward violently, resulting in the airplane nosing over onto its back. Environmental conditions at the time included surface winds that were variable from 340 degrees through 160 degrees at approximately 15 knots, with gusts reaching 20 knots.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the airframe and systems revealed no preexisting airplane malfunctions or system failures that would have contributed to the accident. The mechanical integrity of the flight controls was consistent with normal operation prior to the impact event.