What happened
The pilot was engaged in a ferry flight to transport a recently purchased aircraft home when he decided to divert the flight due to encountering en route weather conditions. Upon approaching the runway, which measured 4,201 feet in length and 75 feet in width, the pilot executed a landing with full flaps at an indicated airspeed of approximately 70 to 80 mph. The aircraft touched down within the first third of the runway.
After touchdown, the pilot retarded the throttle to idle and applied the brakes. This braking action caused the airplane to pull from side to side. Fearing that the aircraft would not stop before reaching the end of the runway, the pilot elected to steer the plane onto a grassy area to the right of the pavement. During this maneuver, the nose wheel struck a culvert, causing the airplane to nose over.
At the time of the accident, it was the pilot's first landing in this specific aircraft, as well as his first landing in this particular make and model. Local winds were reported at approximately 5 knots from a direction 80 degrees to the left of the runway. Following the event, a mechanic attempted to move the aircraft by applying the handbrake and pushing, but the airplane remained immobile. There were no injuries reported.