On March 12, 1997, at 1840 central standard time, a Cessna 182, N869L, sustained substantial damage during landing roll when it departed the runway and nosed over after it went into a drainage ditch. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Parsons, Kansas, en route to Kirksville, Missouri. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that he had called Kirksville Unicom ten miles from the airport. The runway in use was runway 18 with the winds from 110 to 120 degrees at 15 to 20 knots. The pilot reported that he landed on runway 18, but was unable to keep the airplane on the runway. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and traveled about 600 feet before rolling into a drainage ditch. The airplane nosed over after the nose wheel dug into the soft ground. An Airworthiness Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the aircraft had immediately veered to the right after touchdown. There were no indications of heavy braking on the runway or after the airplane left the runway. The inspection of the brakes revealed no abnormalities, nor were there any anomalies with the engine or flight controls.