What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot had completed dropping of dry fertilizer and was making a downwind approach to a private cropduster airfield. The pilot had over 200 hours of landings at this location. Just after the wheels touched the landing strip (with the engine at idle RPM) and the tail wheel was just starting to lower, a wind gust from the back lifted the tail before the pilot could react and the prop hit the ground several times. The aircraft had a field approved geared engine and larger diameter propeller installed. The clearance between the prop and the ground in normal landing configuration is approximately one (1) foot. The aircraft continued up onto the nose dome of the propeller and the momentum carried the aircraft over onto its back. The aircraft slid approximately 10-12 feet before coming to a rest inverted. Pilot was able to exit without further incident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT HAD COMPLETED DROPPING OF DRY FERTILIZER AND WAS MAKING A DOWNWIND APPROACH TO A PRIVATE CROPDUSTER AIRFIELD. THE PILOT HAD OVER 200 HOURS OF LANDINGS AT THIS LOCATION. JUST AFTER THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE LANDING STRIP (WITH THE ENGINE AT IDLE RPM) AND THE TAIL WHEEL WAS JUST STARTING TO LOWER, A WIND GUST FROM THE BACK LIFTED THE TAIL BEFORE THE PILOT COULD REACT AND THE PROP HIT THE GROUND SEVERAL TIMES. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A FIELD APPROVED GEARED ENGINE AND LARGER DIAMETER PROPELLER INSTALLED. THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE PROP AND THE GROUND IN NORMAL LANDING CONFIGURATION IS APPROXIMATELY ONE (1) FOOT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED UP ONTO THE NOSE DOME OF THE PROPELLER AND THE MOMENTUM CARRIED THE AIRCRAFT OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY 10-12 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A REST INVERTED. PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.