Accident Overview
On January 27, 2017, at about 1645 Pacific standard time, an Aviat Aircraft Inc. A-1C, registration N382US, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in snow during a precautionary landing at a snow-covered dirt airstrip near Jiggs, Nevada. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to Canyon State Aviation LLC and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Elko Regional Airport (EKO), Elko, Nevada, around 1630. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot stated the purpose was to overfly the vicinity of his ranch to look for horse tracks.
About 10 minutes after departure, while at an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet above ground level, the engine began to run rough and the rpm surged several times. Cockpit gauges and the engine monitoring device indicated normal ranges with no anomalies. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing and noted he was about 2 miles from the snow-covered dirt airstrip on Corta Ranch, which his family owns and where he frequently lands during summer months. After reducing power to land, the pilot did not recall further roughness or surging. Touchdown occurred about five minutes later. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed over in snow estimated to be 24 to 30 inches deep, coming to rest inverted. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the struts and wings.
Engine Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector spoke with maintenance personnel at Aviat who examined the engine after the accident. The mechanic reported running the engine with no anomalies found; it operated normally through various power settings without incident.