Incident Overview
A pilot flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane with 26-inch bush tires was conducting ground runs on a wet snow-covered grass surface. The pilot's initial intent was to pack the snow by performing several runs and then take off. However, during the first ground run, the airplane accelerated quickly, and the pilot decided to take off instead.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he did not realize the airplane had become airborne. Instead, he believed the airplane had entered an area of deeper snow. Thinking it would be safer and more conservative to stop, the pilot reduced the throttle to idle. The airplane decelerated and subsequently nosed over.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut. No other damage was reported.
Pilot Report
In the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot stated in the Recommendation section that the accident could have been prevented if he had "assumed that the conditions were unacceptable as I could not ascertain with absolute certainty that the surface was acceptable." The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.