What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on landing and sustained substantial damage. (-23) the pilot was attempting to perform an off-airport landing to a river gravel bar. On short final the pilot glanced at some trees to his left to ensure the wing would clear them. During this time the aircraft contacted the water short of the gravel bar and flipped over on its back. It landed in the river approx. thirty feet from the gravel bar. (.4) the certificated private pilot had been taking off and landing along a remote gravel bar in a wheel equipped airplane. He was supporting friends who were floating down a river. On the accident flight, the pilot was landing toward the south. The wind was from the south about 5 knots. The pilot said that the wind speed decreased to zero, and the airplane touched down in the water, about 20 feet short of his intended landing area. The airplane nosed over, and received damage to the fuselage, wings, and the left wing lift strut.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23) THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING TO A RIVER GRAVEL BAR. ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT GLANCED AT SOME TREES TO HIS LEFT TO ENSURE THE WING WOULD CLEAR THEM. DURING THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE WATER SHORT OF THE GRAVEL BAR AND FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK. IT LANDED IN THE RIVER APPROX. THIRTY FEET FROM THE GRAVEL BAR. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT HAD BEEN TAKING OFF AND LANDING ALONG A REMOTE GRAVEL BAR IN A WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. HE WAS SUPPORTING FRIENDS WHO WERE FLOATING DOWN A RIVER. ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS LANDING TOWARD THE SOUTH. THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH ABOUT 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE WIND SPEED DECREASED TO ZERO, AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN THE WATER, ABOUT 20 FEET SHORT OF HIS INTENDED LANDING AREA. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, AND RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, WINGS, AND THE LEFT WING LIFT STRUT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.