What happened
During the landing roll, the pilot applied brakes to bring the aircraft to a complete stop. However, the nose wheel became positioned atop a snow drift, preventing forward traction. After releasing the brakes, the airplane began to roll backward due to gravity or momentum.
When the pilot reapplied the brakes to halt this backward movement, the aircraft rocked rearward and pivoted on its main landing gear. This motion caused the tail section to strike the ground, resulting in damage to two fuselage bulkheads.
The investigation
The physical evidence indicated that the nose wheel was obstructed by a snow drift during the initial braking phase. The subsequent backward movement and pivot on the main gear were direct consequences of the pilot's attempt to stop the reverse roll while the nose gear remained elevated or stuck in the snow.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a tail strike due to pivoting on the main landing gear during a backward roll.
- Two fuselage bulkheads sustained damage from contact with the ground.
- The incident occurred during the landing roll phase, specifically after the initial stop attempt failed due to surface conditions.