Accident Overview
On 3 January 2010, at approximately 1030 UTC, an Aviat A-1B Husky (registration G-HSKI) sustained damage to its propeller, right wing, and tail after nosing over during landing on a private airstrip at Llandegla Airfield, North Wales. The aircraft came to rest inverted.
Occupant Details
The aircraft was conducting a private flight with one pilot and one passenger on board. Both occupants were wearing full harnesses and exited the aircraft through the right door without injury. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 57 years old, with a total flying experience of 915 hours (330 hours on type) and 16 hours in the last 90 days (8 hours in the last 28 days).
Environmental Conditions
The weather at the time was described as fine with no wind. The landing surface was snow-covered. Prior to the flight, the pilot had been advised that the snow on the airstrip was about 12 inches deep. However, the pilot believed the surface would have compacted because snow had been lying for approximately 10 days. It later became apparent that the airstrip was covered with about 10 inches of uncompacted snow.
Pilot's Previous Experience
The pilot reported having landed on snow-covered surfaces in the same area during the preceding two weeks, but on those occasions the snow was compacted and about four inches deep.
Aftermath
The nature of the damage was limited to the propeller, right wing, and tail. No further information regarding the probable cause of the accident was provided in the report.