Incident Overview
During an instructional flight, a tailwheel airplane operated by a commercially rated Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) struck a snow bank while landing, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. The accident occurred during the landing roll on a runway with snow banks along the edges.
Pilot Statement
The CFI provided a detailed account of the events. On short final, the winds became light, and the aircraft landed slightly right of the runway centerline with minimal aileron or rudder input. After rolling for an unknown distance, before the CFI could instruct the student to apply light braking, a gust of wind hit the right side of the aircraft. This gust lifted the right wing and pushed the tail to the left. The CFI applied full aft and right yoke, along with full left rudder to correct the roll-out direction. The right wing leveled, but the aircraft was approximately 2 feet off the runway, with the right main landing gear in the snow that had been pushed off the runway. The aircraft continued down the runway edge with the right main gear still in the snow for about 40 feet. Without braking capability on the right side, the aircraft tipped forward and over onto the windshield when the right main gear either compacted with snow or contacted frozen snow.
Aircraft and Flight Information
The accident involved a tailwheel airplane on an instructional flight. The CFI was accompanied by a student pilot. No other details about the aircraft model, registration, or operator were provided in the report.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage from the impact with the snow bank and the subsequent nose-over. The extent of the damage included the windshield and likely other components from the forward tipping motion.