What happened
Shortly after departing from a section of the Glenn Highway, a private pilot realized he had left his car keys at his intended destination airport. The pilot decided to return to the airport parking area.
While taxiing toward the parking area, the pilot applied the brakes. Both main wheels of the aircraft slid across a snow-covered highway. As the left main wheel transitioned from the snow onto a patch of dry pavement, the airplane veered sharply to the left. This maneuver caused the aircraft to collide with a drainage ditch, which resulted in a nose-over.
The pilot was not injured during the incident. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its wings, the left lift-strut, and the empennage.