Accident Details
During a departure on a dark night, the pilot did not remove the pitot tube cover prior to the flight. As the airplane accelerated down the runway, the pilot noticed that the airspeed indicator was not registering. This was observed only when the airplane was near the end of the runway.
Sequence of Events
Tire skid marks were found beginning 1,042 feet before the end of the runway. The airplane subsequently exited the runway surface. Upon entering soft clay terrain, the nose gear collapsed, causing the airplane to nose over onto its back.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified the pilot's failure to remove the pitot tube cover as the cause of the accident. No other factors were specified.