What happened
The pilot was attempting to land an aircraft on a snow-covered mountain meadow. Prior to the landing attempt, the pilot estimated the depth of the snow to be between 1 and 2 inches. To verify these conditions, he attempted to drag the landing area by lightly touching the main gear on the surface.
When the main gear made contact with the snow, the airplane nosed over. After exiting the aircraft, the pilot observed that the actual depth of the snow was 6 inches and that it was very wet.
The investigation
The examination focused on the discrepancy between the pilot's pre-landing estimation and the actual conditions encountered. The pilot's assessment of 1 to 2 inches proved incorrect, as the true depth was 6 inches. The wet nature of the snow likely contributed to the loss of control during the nose-over event.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the inaccurate estimation of snow depth by the pilot. The attempt to drag the landing area did not provide an accurate representation of the surface conditions, leading to the nosing over of the aircraft upon full weight application.