Incident Overview
A certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that he elected to make a precautionary landing after he smelled smoke in the cockpit. During the landing, the aircraft encountered soft dirt and nosed over, resulting in damage to the vertical stabilizer.
Precautionary Landing
The CFI, accompanied by a student pilot, was operating the aircraft when smoke was detected. The decision to land was made in response to the smoke odor. The landing site consisted of soft dirt, which caused the aircraft to nose over upon touchdown.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination of the engine revealed the presence of a bird's nest in the vicinity of the #2 and #3 cylinders. No evidence of any other possible source of smoke or fire was found. According to an FAA inspector who examined the aircraft, the nest was partially hidden but could have been seen during a preflight inspection with adequate lighting. Both the CFI and the student had preflighted the aircraft, but neither observed the bird's nest.