Accident Details
A private pilot was conducting multiple visual traffic patterns on a 40-foot wide asphalt runway. The pilot reported that the wind was variable and gusting. During the third touch-and-go, the wind shifted to a crosswind with a tailwind component. While reconfiguring the airplane for takeoff, the pilot noticed a faster than normal groundspeed. A gust of wind contacted the airplane's tail, pushing the nose to the left. The pilot attempted to correct back to the runway centerline but was hesitant to apply an aggressive correction due to the perceived faster groundspeed.
Sequence of Events
The left main landing gear ran off the paved surface onto the grass, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The nose wheel sank into mud, causing the nose gear to separate. The nose gear strut then dug into the muddy terrain, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest in an inverted position.
Pilot Statement
On a NTSB Form 6120.1, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented with a more aggressive rudder input.