What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 28, 1999, about 1300 Alaska standard time, a sheel equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N3452D, sustained substantial damage while landing at the skelton airstrip, about 55 miles west-southwest of glennallen, Alaska. The Private pilot and the two passengers aboard were not injured. The personal flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight last departed merrill field, anchorage, Alaska, about 1200. The destination was the skelton airstop. During a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator on March 29, the pilot related he was landing to the south on packed snow. During the landing roll, the pilot said the left main landing gear tire encountered soft snow, he could not maintain directional control, and the airplane nosed over. According to the pilot, the left wing tip, the left wing lift strut, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder, were damaged. (.4) the pilot related he was landing his wheel equipped tailwheel airplane on a snow-covered airstrip. During the landing roll, the left main tire encountered soft snow, and the pilot was unable to keep the airplane from becoming mired in the snow. The airplane subsequently nosed over an d received substantial damage.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 28, 1999, ABOUT 1300 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A SHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE, N3452D, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT THE SKELTON AIRSTRIP, ABOUT 55 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF GLENNALLEN, ALASKA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT LAST DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, ABOUT 1200. THE DESTINATION WAS THE SKELTON AIRSTOP. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH AN NTSB INVESTIGATOR ON MARCH 29, THE PILOT RELATED HE WAS LANDING TO THE SOUTH ON PACKED SNOW. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PILOT SAID THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE ENCOUNTERED SOFT SNOW, HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT WING TIP, THE LEFT WING LIFT STRUT, THE VERTICAL STABILIZER, AND THE RUDDER, WERE DAMAGED. (.4) THE PILOT RELATED HE WAS LANDING HIS WHEEL EQUIPPED TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE ON A SNOW-COVERED AIRSTRIP. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN TIRE ENCOUNTERED SOFT SNOW, AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE FROM BECOMING MIRED IN THE SNOW. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY NOSED OVER AN D RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.