CESSNA 120

Full Narrative

According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane with 26" bush tires installed, his intent was to perform several ground runs to pack the wet snow-covered grass surface, and then takeoff.

During the start of the first ground run, the airplane accelerated quickly, and the pilot decided to takeoff. He reported that he did not realize the airplane had become airborne, rather, he believed that the airplane had entered an area of deeper snow, and he "thought it would be safer and more conservative to stop."

The pilot decreased the throttle to idle, the airplane decelerated and nosed over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing lift strut.

Per the National Transportation Safety Board, Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, in the Recommendation section, the pilot asserted 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 reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.