NTSB Factual Report

The private pilot was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 91 cross-country personal flight in a ski-equipped airplane with one passenger. In an e-mail statement addressed to a Federal Aviation Administration operations inspector, the accident pilot reported that after landing on a remote snow-covered site, while attempting to taxi the airplane to parking, he inadvertently allowed the airplane to slide sideways and downhill. The airplane came to rest in a frozen creek bed, and sustained substantial damage to the left main wing spar. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical anomalies in the e-mail. Additionally, the accident pilot did not return a completed NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), nor did he return any telephone calls that were initiated by the NTSB.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable taxi area, which resulted in a loss of control during the taxi from landing.