What happened
The accident occurred during the landing roll at night. The pilot lost control of the airplane while attempting to land. The primary factor contributing to the loss of control was the failure to adequately compensate for existing crosswind conditions.
After departing the runway, the aircraft traveled approximately 75 feet before coming to a stop. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was located 2,800 feet from the approach end of the runway. During the ground run off the paved surface, the nose gear collapsed. This structural failure caused the airplane to nosed over and come to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical condition of the landing gear and the pilot's actions during the final phase of flight. Evidence indicated that the nose gear was unable to support the weight of the aircraft upon impact with the ground off the runway. The collapse of the nose gear directly led to the nosing over event.
Findings
The loss of directional control was attributed to insufficient crosswind correction by the pilot during the landing roll. The failure to maintain adequate control in the existing weather conditions resulted in the departure from the runway environment. The subsequent ground contact and gear collapse were direct consequences of this excursion.