On January 27, 1985, a Cessna 140A (registration N5603C) was involved in an aviation accident near Three Rivers, MI. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A ski-equipped aircraft overturned on a frozen lake surface after the right ski detached due to bolt failure, causing the gear leg to dig into the ice.
What happened
The aircraft was taxiing on the frozen surface of a lake when a critical mechanical failure occurred. The two bottom bolts that attached the right ski to the gear leg failed under overload conditions. This initial failure caused the two top bolts to fail as well, resulting in the right ski detaching and moving upward at a forty-five-degree angle.
With the ski no longer providing support, the gear leg dug into the ice. The force of this impact caused the aircraft to nose over and come to rest in an inverted position.