What happened
A commercial pilot was attempting a takeoff from a 1200-foot long cornfield that was covered in 8 inches of loose snow. The aircraft, a tailwheel airplane equipped with skis, was performing a ground run parallel to the furrows of the field. At the time of the accident, the wind was recorded at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots, coming from directly behind the airplane.
During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported that the engine lost power approximately two-thirds of the way down the field. In an attempt to maneuver, the pilot tried to turn across the furrows. During this maneuver, the aircraft encountered a fence located on the field boundary, causing the airplane to roll and nose over toward the outside of the turn. The pilot was not injured.
An eyewitness to the event, the owner of the aircraft, noted that the tailwheel had been dragging for the entire duration of the ground run. The owner also stated that the engine was producing full power from the start of the takeoff until the moment the aircraft nosed over.