What happened
The pilot performed a southbound to northbound pass along the runway before entering left traffic for a landing to the north. During the initial pass and the subsequent downwind leg, the pilot searched the runway for obstructions but did not observe any animals.
Upon touchdown, as the pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft, cattle were observed on the runway. The pilot attempted to abort the landing and swerved the aircraft to avoid the animals. However, as the nose landing gear was raised off the ground, the nose of the airplane and the nose gear struck a large calf. This impact caused the nose gear to collapse.
A calf became lodged in the landing gear, preventing the pilot from maintaining directional control. Consequently, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway and traveled over a drop-off.
The investigation
The investigation determined that the cattle had gained access to the runway by passing through a cattle guard that had been filled with rocks and dirt.