Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's selection of an unsuitable area (terrain) for landing. A factor relating to the accident was: excessive snow cover on the airstrip.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot and a passenger were landing on a remote, snow covered airstrip at the conclusion of a cross-country flight. The landing strip had been graded in the past, but had recently received several inches of snow. During the landing roll toward the north, the airplane rapidly decelerated, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane then nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On January 11, 1997, about 1200 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 182, N8591T, crashed during landing at a remote landing strip about 28 miles northwest of Skwentna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane received substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, at 1030. On January 13, 1997, at 0800, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was landing near cabins in a remote area. The landing strip had been graded in the past but had recently received several inches of snow. During the landing roll toward the north, the airplane rapidly decelerated. The nose wheel collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the propeller, nose gear, and left wing lift strut. -