NTSB Factual Report

While the pilot was practicing off-airport landings in a field next to his home, he inadvertently allowed the airplane's nose wheel strut to hit the ground hard enough that it stuck into the soft grassy terrain and collapsed. The airplane then nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane’s flight control systems.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing on soft/grassy terrain.