19981111031689A

On November 11, 1998, about 1400 Alaska standard time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N3391Z, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off airport site located about 29 miles northwest of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by the pilot. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on November 14, 1998, the pilot's father reported that his son was attempting to land on a remote sand bar. He related that as the airplane touched down his son determined that the landing area was too short to complete a safe landing, and he attempted to abort the landing. He reported that as the throttle was advanced, the engine "failed to catch, and it just quit." He said that he was unable to stop the airplane before reacing the end of the sand bar, and the airplane went down an embankment. Theairplane subsequently entered a river, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and the right wing lift strut. (.4) the private pilot was attempting to land on a remote sand bar. He reported that as the airplane touched down, he determined that the landing area was too short to complete a safe landing, and he attempted to abort the landing. As the throttle was advanced, the engine quit, and that he was unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the sand bar. The airplane went down an embankment, entered a river, and nosed over. The pilot related that he did not use carburetor heat during the aborted landing, and that carburetor ice was the reason for the loss in power. He added that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and the right wing lift strut. (-23) the airman was attemtping a landing on a gravel bar near black sand creek. On short final, he noted his airspeed to be too high and attempted a go around. The engine lost power presumably due to too rich a mixture, with insufficient altitude to continue he touched down near the end and attempted to stop. The aircraft ran through a small patch of willowes and into the river, turning upside down upon contacting the water. The pilot being the sole occupant was uninjured with minor damage to the right rear lift strut.