What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 12, 2025 the PIC of a 1959 Cessna 182, on his first flight after his private pilot checkride with a passenger received a full weather briefing from the flight service station at palmer airport for a flight from palmer Alaska to Girdwood Alaska. After pre-flight the pilot met with the passenger and gave a passenger briefing. On departure the pilot originally intended to take a more direct route but the clouds were lower than expected and determined a route over anchorage through the turnagain arm would be better. The aircraft took off at 1037AM in approaching the Girdwood area the pilot contacted flight services via the rco to get updated information for Girdwood. On arriving at the airport the pilot noticed some snow on the runway and did a low pass. The pilot had landed with small amounts of snow previously in this airplane with the instructor and felt that based on the visual check he was safe to do the landing. After the tricycle gear airplane without skiis touched down the nose gear was buried into the snow that was deeper than he expected causing the airplane to flip on its back. After the accident both doors were jammed and there was fuel in the cockpit. The pilot and the passenger executed an evacuation out the passenger door. The injuries we mostly scrapes except the pilot received a minor injury on the back of the head from the fire extinguisher not being securely fasted to the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 12, 2025 THE PIC OF A 1959 CESSNA 182, ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT AFTER HIS PRIVATE PILOT CHECKRIDE WITH A PASSENGER RECEIVED A FULL WEATHER BRIEFING FROM THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AT PALMER AIRPORT FOR A FLIGHT FROM PALMER ALASKA TO GIRDWOOD ALASKA. AFTER PRE-FLIGHT THE PILOT MET WITH THE PASSENGER AND GAVE A PASSENGER BRIEFING. ON DEPARTURE THE PILOT ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO TAKE A MORE DIRECT ROUTE BUT THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN EXPECTED AND DETERMINED A ROUTE OVER ANCHORAGE THROUGH THE TURNAGAIN ARM WOULD BE BETTER. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AT 1037AM IN APPROACHING THE GIRDWOOD AREA THE PILOT CONTACTED FLIGHT SERVICES VIA THE RCO TO GET UPDATED INFORMATION FOR GIRDWOOD. ON ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT THE PILOT NOTICED SOME SNOW ON THE RUNWAY AND DID A LOW PASS. THE PILOT HAD LANDED WITH SMALL AMOUNTS OF SNOW PREVIOUSLY IN THIS AIRPLANE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR AND FELT THAT BASED ON THE VISUAL CHECK HE WAS SAFE TO DO THE LANDING. AFTER THE TRICYCLE GEAR AIRPLANE WITHOUT SKIIS TOUCHED DOWN THE NOSE GEAR WAS BURIED INTO THE SNOW THAT WAS DEEPER THAN HE EXPECTED CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO FLIP ON ITS BACK. AFTER THE ACCIDENT BOTH DOORS WERE JAMMED AND THERE WAS FUEL IN THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER EXECUTED AN EVACUATION OUT THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE INJURIES WE MOSTLY SCRAPES EXCEPT THE PILOT RECEIVED A MINOR INJURY ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD FROM THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER NOT BEING SECURELY FASTED TO THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.