Pilot Reports Nose Wheel Breaks Snow Crust During Landing, Aircraft Inverts

Accident Details

The pilot reported that the accident occurred during landing on an unimproved snow-covered airstrip. He executed a soft field landing technique, touching down initially on the main landing gear. When the airplane decelerated to approximately 10-15 miles per hour, the pilot allowed the nose wheel to settle onto the snow. The nose wheel then broke through the crusted layer of snow, causing the airplane to lurch forward abruptly. The sequence of events resulted in the aircraft coming to rest inverted.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. No other damage was specified in the report.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The report did not indicate any other contributing factors or conditions.