What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot owns a cabin at shell lake and uses the private air strip (shell lake strip). Unknown to the pilot the airstrip had been coated with cinders to aid the snow melt. He overflew the airstrip and observed the cinder coating and assumed he was looking at the gravel runway. He made an approach and attempted to land as the aircraft slowed it sank in approximately three feet of snow and subsequently nosed over onto its bank.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT OWNS A CABIN AT SHELL LAKE AND USES THE PRIVATE AIR STRIP (SHELL LAKE STRIP). UNKNOWN TO THE PILOT THE AIRSTRIP HAD BEEN COATED WITH CINDERS TO AID THE SNOW MELT. HE OVERFLEW THE AIRSTRIP AND OBSERVED THE CINDER COATING AND ASSUMED HE WAS LOOKING AT THE GRAVEL RUNWAY. HE MADE AN APPROACH AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED IT SANK IN APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET OF SNOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER ONTO ITS BANK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N4861D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.