Crosswind Landing Leads to Runway Excursion and Nose-Over

Accident Overview

During a landing with a left crosswind, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot responded by removing the crosswind correction input while applying the brakes. The brake handle was located on the control stick. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway.

Events

After departing the runway surface, the nose landing gear dug into the grass. The airplane subsequently nosed over inverted into a ditch. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.

Aftermath

Both wings and the tail section of the airplane sustained structural damage as a result of the accident sequence. The investigation did not identify any pre-existing mechanical issues that could have contributed to the loss of control.