On October 22, 1984, a Piper PA-18 (registration N4361A) was involved in an aviation accident near Skwentna, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's misjudgment of snow depth on the gravel bar, which resulted in the aircraft nosing over upon touchdown. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A Piper PA-18 Super Cub nosed over after landing on a gravel bar where the pilot misjudged snow depth while searching for missing passengers.
What happened
The pilot was operating a Piper PA-18 Super Cub to pick up passengers at a remote gravel bar. Upon arrival, the intended passengers were not present and could not be located from the air. After making low passes over the area, the pilot determined that the snow cover appeared shallow enough for a safe landing. He proceeded to touch down on the surface to verify the conditions firsthand.
The snow was significantly deeper than it appeared from above. Upon contact, the wheels dug into the soft snow, causing the aircraft to nosed over. The incident occurred during the landing phase of flight.
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudgment of snow depth on the gravel bar, which resulted in the aircraft nosing over upon touchdown.
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