Incident Details
According to the pilot's account, the incident occurred at night after the airplane had landed. During the landing rollout, the pilot noticed a deer on the runway approximately 70 to 80 feet ahead. The engine had been reduced to idle and the carburetor heat was engaged. The pilot stated that he pulled back on the flight controls with the intention of climbing over the deer. However, the airplane entered a stall at an altitude of about 10 feet above the runway surface. It then struck the runway, bounced several times, and the nose landing gear separated from the airframe. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted in the grass beside the runway.
The pilot reported that after the accident, it took several hours to free himself from the wreckage. He and the passenger drove themselves home, and later an ambulance transported them to a local hospital. The control tower operator noticed the airplane the following morning.
Damage
A post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, the empennage, and the right wing.