Probable cause
The pilot's decision to make contact with an unsuitable landing surface, resulting in a nose over.
NTSB analysis
The pilot was on a personal cross-country flight to a remote, off-airport site, in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot said that before landing he intended to fly a low pass over the snow-covered site to determine the condition of the snowpack, a maneuver commonly known as dragging the landing site. He said that as the main landing gear wheels touched down atop the frozen layer of crusty snow, the wheels broke through, and the airplane subsequently nosed over sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer.
The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC16CA014 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Feb 14, 2016
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Sleetmute, Alaska
- Nearest airport
- Sleetmute (SLQ)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 180
- N-number
- N2253C
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1953
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.