What happened
Following touchdown on a gravel airstrip located in a remote area, the aircraft experienced a nose-over. The pilot attempted to prevent the tail from raising during the landing sequence, but was unsuccessful. After exiting the aircraft, the pilot observed that the wheels appeared to be locked up. Due to the remote location, the pilot remained at the site overnight while awaiting rescue, which arrived the following day.
The investigation
An examination of the braking system was conducted. Although the wheels initially appeared locked upon the pilot's inspection immediately after the accident, a subsequent check performed the next day revealed that the brakes were free to rotate with only a slight amount of drag. Prior to the flight, the pilot had serviced the brakes and confirmed that the parking brake had been released. The surface temperature at the time of the incident was estimated to be approximately 38 degrees.