What happened
The pilot reported becoming disoriented while maneuvering the aircraft to circumnavigate adverse weather characterized by a low ceiling. Seeking a safe place to land, he executed a precautionary landing in an open field. During the rollout of the landing, the airplane's nose gear struck a five-gallon water pump tank situated in the field. This impact caused the collapse of the nose wheel assembly. Following the collision, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The physical examination of the wreckage confirmed that the nose landing gear had collapsed due to the impact with the stationary water pump tank. The final resting position of the airplane was upside down, consistent with the pilot's account of a nose-over event following the ground contact.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's loss of orientation during flight operations in instrument meteorological conditions. The decision to land in an unprepared field containing obstacles contributed to the severity of the damage.