What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot took off from kogd to go look at areas to do off airport landings. After arriving at Lucin he decided to do some low passes over the landing area to evaluate the runway conditions. Based on tracks in the snow it appeared to be only a few inches deep. The pilot decided to evaluate the runway conditions by touching down on the left main gear. As the left main wheel touched down it broke through the crust in the snow. The drag from the crusted snow caused them to decelerate rapidly even though the pilot added full power. As the aircraft decelerated the left wingtip struck the snow which then caused the aircraft to cartwheel and ended upside down. There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT TOOK OFF FROM KOGD TO GO LOOK AT AREAS TO DO OFF AIRPORT LANDINGS. AFTER ARRIVING AT LUCIN HE DECIDED TO DO SOME LOW PASSES OVER THE LANDING AREA TO EVALUATE THE RUNWAY CONDITIONS. BASED ON TRACKS IN THE SNOW IT APPEARED TO BE ONLY A FEW INCHES DEEP. THE PILOT DECIDED TO EVALUATE THE RUNWAY CONDITIONS BY TOUCHING DOWN ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. AS THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN IT BROKE THROUGH THE CRUST IN THE SNOW. THE DRAG FROM THE CRUSTED SNOW CAUSED THEM TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY EVEN THOUGH THE PILOT ADDED FULL POWER. AS THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED THE LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK THE SNOW WHICH THEN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL AND ENDED UPSIDE DOWN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.