Accident Description
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger of a tailwheel-equipped airplane planned to stop at three backcountry strips before returning to their base airport. The pilot chose not to land at the first two planned stops due to discomfort with the wind conditions at the time of arrival. The third intended destination airport was situated on the shore of a lake, with a turf runway oriented approximately perpendicular to the shoreline. The runway terminated at the shoreline and sloped uphill away from the lake. Tall trees and rapidly rising terrain at the far end made the runway effectively one-way in and one-way out, over the lake.
Winds were light and variable at the time of landing. The pilot landed uneventfully and taxied to the far end of the runway. After turning around, she began the takeoff roll downhill towards the lake. During the takeoff, the pilot brought the tail up and continued the roll. The airplane became prematurely airborne after "rolling over one of the bumpy spots" on the runway.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that she attempted to fly in ground effect to build airspeed, but lowered the nose too far. The propeller struck the runway, which degraded the airplane's performance and prevented it from successfully climbing. At that point, the pilot determined she was too far down the runway to safely abort the takeoff on the remaining runway. She sought a spot straight ahead on the exposed lakebed to land the airplane. The pilot steered towards an area that appeared dry and clear of debris.
The airplane struck the dry upslope on the main wheels, and the left main gear impacted a tree stump. The airplane then nosed over into an inverted position.
Damage and Mechanical Condition
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.