Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper pitch attitude during the soft-field landing roll, which resulted in the tail striking the runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that he touched down on the rough, turf surface runway and utilized a soft-field landing technique. He recalled, that during the landing roll, he held the nose landing gear off the runway until the airplane's groundspeed decreased to 20 knots. Shortly after contacting the ground, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane's aft fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he touched down on the rough, turf surface runway and utilized a soft-field landing technique. He recalled, that during the landing roll, he held the nose landing gear off the runway until the airplane's groundspeed decreased to 20 knots. Shortly after contacting the ground, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane's aft fuselage was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.