What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot noticed tracks in the snow while orbiting the airport. The pilot stated the tracks went from the landing area to the parking area. The pilot believed another aircraft made the tracks; he planned on using the same tracks, and he planned to land in the tracks. From photographs and scene diagram submitted by trinity country sheriff department it appears that the pilot landed nose first followed by the main gear. It appears that snow built up under the wheel pants to the point where the left gear lifted up out of the snow and the right wing tip hit the ground. The aircraft continued in left turn and nosed up hitting the propeller spinner and the propeller tips. The aircraft continued in a 270 degree turn striking the left wing tip causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT NOTICED TRACKS IN THE SNOW WHILE ORBITING THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THE TRACKS WENT FROM THE LANDING AREA TO THE PARKING AREA. THE PILOT BELIEVED ANOTHER AIRCRAFT MADE THE TRACKS; HE PLANNED ON USING THE SAME TRACKS, AND HE PLANNED TO LAND IN THE TRACKS. FROM PHOTOGRAPHS AND SCENE DIAGRAM SUBMITTED BY TRINITY COUNTRY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT LANDED NOSE FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE MAIN GEAR. IT APPEARS THAT SNOW BUILT UP UNDER THE WHEEL PANTS TO THE POINT WHERE THE LEFT GEAR LIFTED UP OUT OF THE SNOW AND THE RIGHT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN LEFT TURN AND NOSED UP HITTING THE PROPELLER SPINNER AND THE PROPELLER TIPS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A 270 DEGREE TURN STRIKING THE LEFT WING TIP CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.