NTSB Factual Report

On January 10, 2004, about 1830 central standard time, a Cessna 150E, N3088J, owned and piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when the aircraft nosed over on contact with a snow drift during landing on runway 36 at Princeton-Kauffman Memorial Airport (7MO), near Princeton, Missouri. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries. The personal flight originated at Macon-Fower Memorial Airport (K89) at 1730, and was landing 7MO at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated:

Left K89 at approximately 17:30 PM [the] wind was calm, [and]

had good flight to 7MO. On approach slowed to 60 [knots]

airspeed and three notches flaps on touchdown the wheels seemed to

slow that pulled nose wheel down and it seemed to slow also, when

the nose wheel slowed I lost control, veered to the left somewhat.

At about 150 feet the plane flipped tail over nose at edge of runway.

Upon exiting plane, determined there was 6" to 8" of snow [at] 1830 PM.

At 1856, the recorded weather at Lamoni Municipal Airport (LWD), Lamoni, Iowa, located approximately 19 miles northwest of 7MO, was: Wind 180 degrees at 10 knots; visibility 5 statute miles; present weather haze; sky condition clear; temperature -2 degrees C; dew point -5 degrees C; altimeter 30.18 inches of mercury.

The pilot did not list any mechanical malfunctions in reference to the flight in his accident report.

According to the Columbia Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), no notice to airmen (NOTAM) had been issued concerning runway conditions present at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The encounter with the unknown snow drifts during landing. The factors were the snow drifts, night, and the airport's failure to issue a NOTAM on the runway conditions.