What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft departed nampa, ID (man) January 10, 2018 with 2 family members and flew to garden valley, ID (U88). They departed garden valley, ID (U88) and headed east and landed at Warm Springs Creek Airport (0U1) ? 16 miles east of Lowman, ID.
The Warm Springs Creek Airport (0U1) is a turf airstrip, maintained by the Idaho division of aeronautics. Remarks on the Warm Springs airstrip diagram provided by the Idaho division of aeronautics states: normally land rwy 02, depart rwy 20. No winter maintenance. No line of sight between runway ends. Steep enclosing terrain.
The runway was snow covered. The pilot stated that he has landed there before with wheels with no issues. They landed at Warm Springs Creek Airport (0U1) and misjudged the depth of the snow. The landing was uneventful but the pilot knew that the snow was too deep to attempt a takeoff.
They attempted to clear the runway using snow blowing equipment but by the time they cleared an area large enough for takeoff it was too dark for a legal departure.
The pilot reported that the airport accumulated more snow overnight and during the day on Thursday January 11, 2018.
The pilot stated that on Friday, January 12, 2018 they cleared the runway again but tried to leave enough snow so that it did not affect the other operators landing on the field with skis.
The pilot said that as the tail came up off the ground that the aircraft started an uncontrolled drift to the left and the left hand main tire made contact with a 1-foot-deep snow ridge.
The pilot stated that he maintained a high power setting on the engine in an attempt to try and maintain control of the aircraft and keep the tail down. He stated that if he had removed power that the asymmetrical deceleration would have caused the aircraft to nose over.
He stated that as the aircraft continued to drift he had no rudder or steering authority or control and the main tires contacted a snow bank which caused the aircraft to quickly decelerate and nose over. The prop made contact with the ground and the aircraft continued to flip over, coming to rest on the roof
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NAMPA, ID (MAN) JANUARY 10, 2018 WITH 2 FAMILY MEMBERS AND FLEW TO GARDEN VALLEY, ID (U88). THEY DEPARTED GARDEN VALLEY, ID (U88) AND HEADED EAST AND LANDED AT WARM SPRINGS CREEK AIRPORT (0U1) ? 16 MILES EAST OF LOWMAN, ID.
THE WARM SPRINGS CREEK AIRPORT (0U1) IS A TURF AIRSTRIP, MAINTAINED BY THE IDAHO DIVISION OF AERONAUTICS. REMARKS ON THE WARM SPRINGS AIRSTRIP DIAGRAM PROVIDED BY THE IDAHO DIVISION OF AERONAUTICS STATES: NORMALLY LAND RWY 02, DEPART RWY 20. NO WINTER MAINTENANCE. NO LINE OF SIGHT BETWEEN RUNWAY ENDS. STEEP ENCLOSING TERRAIN.
THE RUNWAY WAS SNOW COVERED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAS LANDED THERE BEFORE WITH WHEELS WITH NO ISSUES. THEY LANDED AT WARM SPRINGS CREEK AIRPORT (0U1) AND MISJUDGED THE DEPTH OF THE SNOW. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT THE PILOT KNEW THAT THE SNOW WAS TOO DEEP TO ATTEMPT A TAKEOFF.
THEY ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE RUNWAY USING SNOW BLOWING EQUIPMENT BUT BY THE TIME THEY CLEARED AN AREA LARGE ENOUGH FOR TAKEOFF IT WAS TOO DARK FOR A LEGAL DEPARTURE.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPORT ACCUMULATED MORE SNOW OVERNIGHT AND DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY JANUARY 11, 2018.
THE PILOT STATED THAT ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 THEY CLEARED THE RUNWAY AGAIN BUT TRIED TO LEAVE ENOUGH SNOW SO THAT IT DID NOT AFFECT THE OTHER OPERATORS LANDING ON THE FIELD WITH SKIS.
THE PILOT SAID THAT AS THE TAIL CAME UP OFF THE GROUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT STARTED AN UNCONTROLLED DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT HAND MAIN TIRE MADE CONTACT WITH A 1-FOOT-DEEP SNOW RIDGE.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MAINTAINED A HIGH POWER SETTING ON THE ENGINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRY AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND KEEP THE TAIL DOWN. HE STATED THAT IF HE HAD REMOVED POWER THAT THE ASYMMETRICAL DECELERATION WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER.
HE STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DRIFT HE HAD NO RUDDER OR STEERING AUTHORITY OR CONTROL AND THE MAIN TIRES CONTACTED A SNOW BANK WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO QUICKLY DECELERATE AND NOSE OVER. THE PROP MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO FLIP OVER, COMING TO REST ON THE ROOF
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.