American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC accident near Ashton, Idaho, November 20, 2011
On November 20, 2011 at about 7:30 pm local time, a American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC, registered N131PM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Ashton, Idaho (Private Airstrip, No Name 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 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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2011 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ashton, Idaho · Private Airstrip, No Name · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N131PM · registry record · serial 462-2004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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 Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Student pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 656 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 2011; 214 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ririe ID at 6:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Ashton ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 2,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°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.
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.