Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B accident near North Bend, Washington, November 28, 2010
On November 28, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B, registered N55HU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near North Bend, Washington (Bandera State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to predetermine the depth of the snow on the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- North Bend, Washington · Bandera State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B · all A-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N55HU · registry record · serial 2046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a local area personal proficiency flight, he decided to make a full-stop landing on the snow-covered runway of a remote state airstrip. Although he overflew the strip before landing, because he had not predetermined the actual depth of the snow on the surface, during the landing roll the airplane sunk deep enough into the snow that it decelerated at a rate that resulted in it nosing over onto its back. The pilot did not report any airplane malfunctions or anomalies, and he further stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had not landed without first acquiring an "exact verification" of the snow depth on the runway surface.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,774 hours in all; 867 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Everett WA at 10:30 pm
- Destination: Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 2,344 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N55HU the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.