Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Airstrip, No Name Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ashton, Idaho 83420
Sunday, November 20, 2011 12:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot reported that he approached the privately-owned, rough grass airstrip and observed that it was covered with snow. After evaluating the snow’s depth as being only a few inches, the pilot landed. During the landing roll, the airplane decelerated quickly and nosed over, bending the vertical stabilizer, wings, and lift struts. After exiting the airplane, the pilot realized that the snow was between 6- and 8-inches deep. The student pilot’s certified flight instructor reported that he had not endorsed the student’s flight record logbook in over 90 days, and he had not authorized the student to fly to the accident airport. The student was not current in the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot’s poor decision-making when he decided to land on a snowy grass airstrip, which resulted in an encounter with deep snow during the landing roll and a subsequent nose-over.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/20/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Ashton |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83420 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 440729N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1112715W |
| Event Location Airport | Private Airstrip, No Name |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5400 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29518 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NM ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 10 2012 2:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N131PM |
| NTSB Number | WPR12CA041 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT |
| Aircraft Model | 8GCBC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 462-2004 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 10 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 214 |
| Airframe Hours | 656 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RJS Farms, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 608 |
| Aircraft Owner City | RIRIE |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83443-0608 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Russell J. Schwendiman |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | RIRIE |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83443-0608 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Ririe |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1100 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | Ashton |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 5 2012 2:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 02 |
| Runway Length | 2500 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |