Accident Details
On 8 November 2018 at 11:48 local time, a Piper J-3C-65/L4 aircraft, registration HB-ODC, was involved in an accident at La Croix de Cœur (LSYQ), commune of Riddes, Switzerland. The flight operated under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) as a private operation. The pilot, a Swiss citizen born in 1989, held a Commercial Pilot Aeroplane (CPL(A)) license issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) through the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. The pilot had accumulated 1,740 hours 49 minutes total flight time, with 62 hours 20 minutes in the last 90 days and 9 hours 22 minutes on the accident aircraft type (1 hour 33 minutes in the last 90 days).
Sequence of Events
During reconnaissance flights conducted on the two days preceding the accident, the pilot observed that the runway was covered with snow of an estimated low depth. Due to mild temperatures, the pilot decided to proceed to La Croix de Cœur to perform wheel landings. On the first landing, the aircraft rolled approximately 40 meters before being significantly slowed by the snow. The pilot was unable to prevent the aircraft from nosing over, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft then settled back onto its three wheels.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained severe damage to the propeller and engine cowling. No other damage was reported. The pilot was not injured; there were no passengers or other persons involved.
Investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) conducted a summary investigation in accordance with Article 46 of the Ordinance on Safety Investigations into Transport Incidents (OEIT). The purpose of the report is to derive lessons from the incident. No probable cause was stated in the report.