Alton, NH, USA
N3070A
Cessna 170B
The pilot stated that he took three friends on a short cross-country pleasure flight. The airplane was entering a downwind leg at the destination airport, when the pilot decided to make a low pass over an adjacent lake, near a friend's property. The pilot said that his depth perception was negatively affected due to the flat light and snow on the ground. While maneuvering over the lake, the right main landing gear contacted the snowy frozen surface, which resulted in the right wing impacting the surface. The airplane came to rest upright on the frozen lake, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and firewall. The reported weather at an airport about 10 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, included calm winds and an overcast ceiling at 2,200 feet.
The pilot stated that he took three friends on a short cross-country pleasure flight, in a Cessna 170B. The airplane was entering a downwind leg at the destination airport, when the pilot decided to make a low pass over an adjacent lake, near a friend's property. The pilot further stated that his depth perception was negatively effected due to the flat light and snow on the ground. While maneuvering over the lake, the right main landing gear contacted the snowy frozen surface, which resulted in the right wing impacting the surface. The airplane came to rest upright on the frozen lake, and sustained substantial damage to the right wing, landing gear, and firewall. The reported weather at an airport about 10 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, included calm winds and an overcast ceiling at 2,200 feet.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance above a frozen lake while maneuvering. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's attempt of the low altitude maneuver, and unfavorable lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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