What happened
The accident occurred while a certified flight instructor was conducting training with a student pilot. The pair was performing a series of right downwind touch-and-go landings when the aircraft's engine suddenly lost all power. According to the pilot's account, the failure was immediate and total.
In response to the power loss, the crew attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. With no thrust available, the airplane landed short of the runway threshold. The terrain at the landing site consisted of deep snow, which contributed to the aircraft coming to a stop before reaching paved surfaces. Upon impact with the uneven snowy ground, the airplane nosed over.
The investigation
An FAA inspector arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and conducted an initial assessment of the aircraft's condition. The inspector observed that there were no obvious external signs indicating an engine malfunction or mechanical failure prior to the event. Additionally, it was noted that the airplane had sufficient fuel on board at the time of the incident, ruling out immediate fuel exhaustion as a visible cause.
Findings
The primary factors leading to the accident involved the sudden loss of engine power during a critical phase of flight and the subsequent inability to restart the system. The landing in deep snow resulted in the aircraft nosing over due to the lack of control authority and the soft surface conditions.