Incident Overview
A student pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) were on a dual cross-country flight. They proceeded to an unattended airport at Emigrant Gap, California, which lies at an elevation of 5,284 feet. Upon arrival, they circled the airport and conducted a low pass over the runway. During the pass, they observed tracks on the runway and assumed that aircraft had been operating from the airport. They later learned that the tracks had been made by snowmobile-type vehicles.
Approach and Landing
The CFI directed the student to execute a soft field approach and landing, with the instruction to immediately initiate a go-around after touchdown without lowering the nose. However, when the main landing gear contacted the runway surface, the wet and unpacked snow generated sufficient drag to cause the nose of the aircraft to drop. This resulted in the collapse of the nose gear, and the aircraft subsequently nosed over.
Airport Information
The Airport/Facility Directory stated that the airport was unattended and was closed during the winter season. The CFI had not consulted this directory, but had checked two private publications before the flight.