What happened
The incident occurred during a training flight focused on soft-field landing techniques. The instructor pilot was actively demonstrating the proper procedure to his student pilot when the error took place. During the final phase of the approach, the instructor flared the airplane too high above the runway surface.
Once airborne again due to the excessive flare, the aircraft became susceptible to lateral drift. A crosswind condition carried the airplane off the left side of the runway. The aircraft subsequently impacted a runway light and a snow berm located adjacent to the pavement. The force of these impacts caused the nose gear to collapse, resulting in the airplane nosing over.
The investigation
Following the accident, the instructor pilot provided a statement regarding the sequence of events. He characterized the incident as a straightforward error on his part during the demonstration. No further mechanical failures or environmental anomalies were cited beyond the crosswind and snow conditions present at the site.