What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 02/04/2023, the pilotprivacy data omittedof a 1946 Piper PA-12 airplane privacy data omittedN3969B^ was flying his airplane in the back country near Porterville, Utah. The pilot was conducting a part 91 personal sightseeing flight and took off from ogden, Utah airport (ogd) at approximately 14:40(l). The pilot flew toward morgan, Utah and then proceeded southbound through the morgan valley. The pilot overflew a private airstrip (15UT - Field Of Dreams) and noticed fresh aircraft tracks on the snow-covered airstrip. The pilot made a low approach over the airstrip to determine if the tracks were made by aircraft tires or skis and to determine the condition and nature of the snow on the airstrip. The pilot made two low passes over the airstrip and then decided to execute a third pass to determine if the conditions and depth of the snow on the runway. The pilot made a final approach to RWY08 and placed the aircraft flaps to half flaps. During the low approach, the pilot misjudged his altitude. The aircraft's main landing gear contacted the snow surface immediately causing the aircraft to pitch forward driving the main landing gear wheels further into the snow on the runway surface. The pilot attempted to apply full power and nose the aircraft up but the forward momentum had already started the aircraft to nose over. The aircraft flipped forward and came to a stop inverted on the airstrip. The aircraft's ELT warning device activated upon impact. The pilot was able to self-extract himself and his dog from the aircraft. The pilot received a phone call from the air force rescue coordination center shortly after extracting himself from the aircraft. The pilot then called the morgan county sheriff's office and a sheriff's deputy was dispatched to the accident site. After the accident the pilot stated that the snow on the runway appeared to be approximately 2 ½ feet in depth.
As the FAA filed it
ON 02/04/2023, THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OF A 1946 PIPER PA-12 AIRPLANE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^N3969B^ WAS FLYING HIS AIRPLANE IN THE BACK COUNTRY NEAR PORTERVILLE, UTAH. THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A PART 91 PERSONAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AND TOOK OFF FROM OGDEN, UTAH AIRPORT (OGD) AT APPROXIMATELY 14:40(L). THE PILOT FLEW TOWARD MORGAN, UTAH AND THEN PROCEEDED SOUTHBOUND THROUGH THE MORGAN VALLEY. THE PILOT OVERFLEW A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP (15UT - FIELD OF DREAMS) AND NOTICED FRESH AIRCRAFT TRACKS ON THE SNOW-COVERED AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT MADE A LOW APPROACH OVER THE AIRSTRIP TO DETERMINE IF THE TRACKS WERE MADE BY AIRCRAFT TIRES OR SKIS AND TO DETERMINE THE CONDITION AND NATURE OF THE SNOW ON THE AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT MADE TWO LOW PASSES OVER THE AIRSTRIP AND THEN DECIDED TO EXECUTE A THIRD PASS TO DETERMINE IF THE CONDITIONS AND DEPTH OF THE SNOW ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT MADE A FINAL APPROACH TO RWY08 AND PLACED THE AIRCRAFT FLAPS TO HALF FLAPS. DURING THE LOW APPROACH, THE PILOT MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE SNOW SURFACE IMMEDIATELY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH FORWARD DRIVING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEELS FURTHER INTO THE SNOW ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY FULL POWER AND NOSE THE AIRCRAFT UP BUT THE FORWARD MOMENTUM HAD ALREADY STARTED THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED FORWARD AND CAME TO A STOP INVERTED ON THE AIRSTRIP. THE AIRCRAFT'S ELT WARNING DEVICE ACTIVATED UPON IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SELF-EXTRACT HIMSELF AND HIS DOG FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE AIR FORCE RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER SHORTLY AFTER EXTRACTING HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT THEN CALLED THE MORGAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WAS DISPATCHED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT STATED THAT THE SNOW ON THE RUNWAY APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 2 ½ FEET IN DEPTH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.