20180205003549A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172 · Juneau, AK · February 5, 2018

Date: February 5, 2018 · 11:30 local
Place: Juneau, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N271BJ
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA119
Reported as: Cessna 172
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 500 total350 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N271BJRegistration cancelled May 1, 2020 · Cessna 172S/N 36069 · Built 1957 Airframe modelCessna 172 Engine modelFranklin 6A&6V335 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Airman overflew landing site, which was covered with windblown snow. A snowmobile track nearby showed visible rocks in the track, with which airman presumed snow depth to be about 4 inches.

Aircraft landed in snow using soft field technique, but snow was over one foot deep. When nosewheel touched down, nose of aircraft dug in, and aircraft flipped over on its back.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN OVERFLEW LANDING SITE, WHICH WAS COVERED WITH WINDBLOWN SNOW. A SNOWMOBILE TRACK NEARBY SHOWED VISIBLE ROCKS IN THE TRACK, WITH WHICH AIRMAN PRESUMED SNOW DEPTH TO BE ABOUT 4 INCHES.

AIRCRAFT LANDED IN SNOW USING SOFT FIELD TECHNIQUE, BUT SNOW WAS OVER ONE FOOT DEEP. WHEN NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN, NOSE OF AIRCRAFT DUG IN, AND AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA18CA119Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportJuneau, AKThe pilot’s selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a nose-over.Feb 5, 2018 · Substantial damage