What happened
The pilot reported that during the landing approach, just before touchdown, the airplane's tail wheel caught the top of the chain link fence that runs perpendicular to runway 16. He stated that the airplane consequently impacted terrain and nosed over. The pilot stated that he might have been a little low while on final approach. Additionally, the pilot reported that he encountered turbulence, downdrafts and wind shear while on final approach to the runway. At the time of the accident, winds were reported to be from the south at 12 knots.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the nosed-over condition. Evidence indicated that the tail wheel made contact with a stationary obstacle positioned near the runway threshold. The pilot's account suggested that being low on final approach contributed to the impact with the fence, which then caused the aircraft to strike the ground and roll forward onto its nose.
Findings
Contributing factors included the pilot's decision to continue the approach while potentially low, combined with adverse weather conditions. The presence of turbulence, downdrafts, and wind shear during the final phase of flight likely affected the aircraft's trajectory and control. The specific mechanical failure was limited to the ground contact event, with no indication of pre-impact system malfunction.
Safety message
Pilots operating tailwheel-equipped aircraft should be particularly vigilant about altitude control during the landing flare. Maintaining proper approach speed and avoiding low-energy states near obstacles is critical to preventing ground contacts that can lead to nosed-over accidents.