What happened
On February 5, 2018, a Cessna 172, registration N271BJ, was performing a landing on an unimproved, snow-covered airstrip in Juneau, Alaska. During the landing sequence, the pilot misjudged the condition of the surface. As the nose gear made contact with the ground, the wheel broke through the snow and turned sideways, causing the aircraft to nose over.
The accident resulted in no injuries to the pilot. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings and the front windshield.
The investigation
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident that would have prevented the aircraft from operating normally.