Incident Overview
During a cross-country instructional flight, the instructor attempted to demonstrate an off-airport soft field landing on a dry lake bed. The instructor had not previously planned to land on that surface and had no information regarding its condition. Upon touchdown, the main landing gear sank into the sand, which was softer than anticipated, causing the airplane to nose over. The instructor reported that no mechanical failures or malfunctions occurred with the airplane or engine during the flight.
Sequence of Events
The flight was conducted as a cross-country instructional sortie. During the flight, the instructor decided to demonstrate a soft field landing on a dry lake bed. The instructor had no prior data on the landing surface's characteristics. The landing surface proved to be much softer than expected. When the main landing gear contacted the ground, it sank into the sand, resulting in the airplane nosing over.
Aircraft Condition
The instructor stated that the airplane and engine performed without any mechanical failures or malfunctions throughout the flight. No other information regarding the aircraft type, registration, or damage was provided in the source.
Conclusion
The incident occurred due to the unexpected softness of the dry lake bed surface, which caused the main landing gear to sink and the airplane to nose over. The instructor had no pre-existing knowledge of the surface condition.