On June 10, 2003, about 2100 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Cessna 140A airplane, N9667A, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during the landing roll at the Goose Bay airstrip, located about 13 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska. The solo private pilot/airplane owner received minor injuries. The Title 14, CFR Part 91 local personal flight operated in day visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight departed Merrill Field, Anchorage, about 2000. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 11, the pilot reported that he was practicing short field landings on the gravel airstrip. On the accident landing, he said he applied the main landing gear wheel brakes too hard while the airplane's tailwheel was still off the ground, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane.