The pilot had planned to land the aircraft in a paddock on his father's property. During the attempted landing, the nose landing gear broke off and the aircraft overturned. Investigation revealed that the landing was attempted in a paddock covered in dense grass ranging from 500 to 700 millimetres in length. The density of the grass caused the nose gear to break off. The pilot said that he was "misinformed on strip conditions and unable to identify grass length" from the air.
Significant Factors
- The surface condition of the landing area selected by the pilot was unsuitable for use as a landing area.
- The pilot was unaware of the surface condition prior to attempting to land.
