What happened
On March 27, 2011, a Piper PA-18-150, registration N91117, was performing a low-level reconnaissance pass over a frozen, snow-covered lake near Chicken Lake, Alaska. During the maneuver, the aircraft made contact with the snow under flat light conditions, causing the airplane to nose over. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. There were no injuries reported following the event.
The investigation
The pilot reported that the contact with the snow occurred while flying at a low altitude. The weather at the time of the accident was characterized by visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 140 degrees at 4 knots.