Incident
An airplane equipped with both wheel and ski landing gear experienced a ground loop after landing on a frozen lake. The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage.
Aircraft and Flight
The airplane, fitted with wheel/ski landing gear, departed from a private airstrip for a local area flight. During the flight, the pilot decided to land on an ice-covered frozen lake. Due to the bare ice conditions, the pilot elected to use the wheel configuration rather than the ski configuration for landing.
Landing and Ground Loop
During the landing roll, as the airplane slowed, the left tire broke through a layer of thin ice that was atop several inches of water. This caused the airplane to veer left. The pilot applied engine power in an attempt to correct the veer, but the airplane subsequently ground-looped to the left.
Damage
The ground loop resulted in substantial damage to the empennage and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.