What happened
The pilot performed a reconnaissance flight over an intended landing site, which consisted of a 1,000-foot long, slightly winding gravel road. The road was approximately 25 feet wide and sloped downward toward the east. After determining the wind direction and road conditions, the pilot executed a standard traffic pattern entry to land toward the east.
During the landing roll, as the aircraft decelerated through approximately 35 to 40 mph, the pilot observed the aircraft drifting to the right. While attempting to correct this drift, the pilot discovered that the right tire had deflated and was rolling on its rim. This caused the right wheel to enter a shallow ditch at the edge of the road. The aircraft subsequently departed the landing surface and traveled across rough, down-sloping terrain, resulting in a nose-over that left the aircraft resting inverted. The pilot was not injured.
The investigation
Following the accident, an examination of the right wheel was conducted. The pilot, who held a mechanic's license, identified that the valve stem on the right wheel had been broken.