SEA96LA053

Factual narrative

On March 2, 1996, at 1700 mountain standard time, a Cessna R172K, N2925V, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, nosed over during the landing roll at the Garden Valley Airport, Garden Valley, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Nampa, Idaho, about 40 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported that he made two passes over the airport and thought that there were only about three inches of snow on the runway surface. An approach for a soft field landing was made to runway 10. During the landing roll, the airplane's nose wheel dug into the snow and the airplane nosed over. It was later determined that there were approximately 15 inches of snow on the runway. The Airport/Facility Directory for the Garden Valley Airport indicates that the airport is unattended and there is no winter maintenance. The pilot reported that he made two passes over the snow-covered runway and estimated only about three inches of snow on the surface. An approach for a soft field landing was made. During the landing roll, the nose wheel dug into the snow and the airplane nosed over. After the accident, about 15 inches of snow was found on the runway surface. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12