Accident Details
The flight instructor and a pilot rated passenger departed a local airport in a tailwheel-equipped airplane to inspect ranch property and livestock. The airplane featured a tandem cockpit, with the flight instructor occupying the rear seat. The pilots planned to land in a pasture to check on livestock, and the pilot in the front seat was on the controls.
Sequence of Events
During the approach, the instructor's forward visibility was limited, and he failed to observe that the airplane was carrying excess airspeed and had progressed too far down the airstrip for a normal landing. The front-seat pilot, seeing the end of the airstrip approaching rapidly, applied the brakes sharply. The instructor directed the pilot to "relax" and allow the tail to settle. The brakes abruptly grabbed a second time, causing the tail to come up sharply and the propeller to strike the ground. The airplane slid on its nose, veered left, and flipped onto its back.
Aircraft Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.