What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The aircraft owner and private pilot met with his CFI for about a half hour at grand rapids airport (kgpz). The plan of the day was to fly a local flight review. The cfi's plan was to go over to Hill City airport (K07Y) and take a look and see if it would be good for landings. The CFI did not check the NOTAMS for his plan, K07Y was closed for winter operations in the NOTAMS. The pilot receiving the flight review did not check NOTAMS for that airport either. The private pilot receiving the flight review believed he was the PIC. Upon review of logbooks his flight review had expired February 2020. This accident occurred in March 2020, so the CFI was the only current and legal pilot on board and thus the PIC.
Arriving at the airport N206JF set up for a left downwind. The private pilot was at the controls in the left seat, while the CFI was in the right seat. The private pilot continued the approach to a sea of white as the whole area was covered in about 18 inches of snow. The CFI was looking out his side window with a desire to "quantify" this runway. The private pilot was flying, continuing the visual approach, he never heard the CFI say anything to him, all of a sudden he felt the plane touch the snow, he did not realize he was that low. The runway and surrounding area was all white with no distinct visual cues. The CFI did not realize how low the plane was as he stated he was looking out his own side window, it was not until he felt contact with the snow that he realized it. The CFI did not say anything to the private pilot prior to impact. The aircraft very rapidly cart wheeled flipping inverted.
The airplane came to rest 100 ft after the initial main mount contact with the snow. The aircraft suffered damage to both wings and ailerons, rudder, and prop strikes. The CFI had made the decision to not wear his shoulder harness, he suffered face lacerations, specifically nose impact requiring multiple levels of medical attention. The private pilot was wearing his shoulder harness and climbed out without any injuries.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRCRAFT OWNER AND PRIVATE PILOT MET WITH HIS CFI FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR AT GRAND RAPIDS AIRPORT (KGPZ). THE PLAN OF THE DAY WAS TO FLY A LOCAL FLIGHT REVIEW. THE CFI'S PLAN WAS TO GO OVER TO HILL CITY AIRPORT (K07Y) AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR LANDINGS. THE CFI DID NOT CHECK THE NOTAMS FOR HIS PLAN, K07Y WAS CLOSED FOR WINTER OPERATIONS IN THE NOTAMS. THE PILOT RECEIVING THE FLIGHT REVIEW DID NOT CHECK NOTAMS FOR THAT AIRPORT EITHER. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVING THE FLIGHT REVIEW BELIEVED HE WAS THE PIC. UPON REVIEW OF LOGBOOKS HIS FLIGHT REVIEW HAD EXPIRED FEBRUARY 2020. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN MARCH 2020, SO THE CFI WAS THE ONLY CURRENT AND LEGAL PILOT ON BOARD AND THUS THE PIC.
ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT N206JF SET UP FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS AT THE CONTROLS IN THE LEFT SEAT, WHILE THE CFI WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. THE PRIVATE PILOT CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO A SEA OF WHITE AS THE WHOLE AREA WAS COVERED IN ABOUT 18 INCHES OF SNOW. THE CFI WAS LOOKING OUT HIS SIDE WINDOW WITH A DESIRE TO "QUANTIFY" THIS RUNWAY. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FLYING, CONTINUING THE VISUAL APPROACH, HE NEVER HEARD THE CFI SAY ANYTHING TO HIM, ALL OF A SUDDEN HE FELT THE PLANE TOUCH THE SNOW, HE DID NOT REALIZE HE WAS THAT LOW. THE RUNWAY AND SURROUNDING AREA WAS ALL WHITE WITH NO DISTINCT VISUAL CUES. THE CFI DID NOT REALIZE HOW LOW THE PLANE WAS AS HE STATED HE WAS LOOKING OUT HIS OWN SIDE WINDOW, IT WAS NOT UNTIL HE FELT CONTACT WITH THE SNOW THAT HE REALIZED IT. THE CFI DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE PRIVATE PILOT PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT VERY RAPIDLY CART WHEELED FLIPPING INVERTED.
THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST 100 FT AFTER THE INITIAL MAIN MOUNT CONTACT WITH THE SNOW. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS AND AILERONS, RUDDER, AND PROP STRIKES. THE CFI HAD MADE THE DECISION TO NOT WEAR HIS SHOULDER HARNESS, HE SUFFERED FACE LACERATIONS, SPECIFICALLY NOSE IMPACT REQUIRING MULTIPLE LEVELS OF MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS WEARING HIS SHOULDER HARNESS AND CLIMBED OUT WITHOUT ANY INJURIES.