What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)Airman was conducting an approach to a landing at a unimproved mountain landing strip at the confluence of two deep-gorge rivers. Light and variable wind conditions existed, however, a report by the Washington pilots association advised of winds converging from the river gorges and causing a combination of head, tail, and crosswinds, all at the same time. The pilot reported that, at approximately 15 feet above touchdown, the wind changed direction to a left quartering tailwind. That aircraft uawed to the left and the pilot attempted to abort the landing, however insuffiecient airspeed existed. The aircraft touched down on the right main gear, right wing low. The nose gear contacted the surface and collapsed. The right wing then contacted the surface and caused the airplane to veer right. The centrifigual force from the right turn caused the aircraft weight to shift from the right main gear to the left main gear and ultimately to the left wing. The airplane slid about 40 feet to a stop. The ELT did not activate and there was no post-crash fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)AIRMAN WAS CONDUCTING AN APPROACH TO A LANDING AT A UNIMPROVED MOUNTAIN LANDING STRIP AT THE CONFLUENCE OF TWO DEEP-GORGE RIVERS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS EXISTED, HOWEVER, A REPORT BY THE WASHINGTON PILOTS ASSOCIATION ADVISED OF WINDS CONVERGING FROM THE RIVER GORGES AND CAUSING A COMBINATION OF HEAD, TAIL, AND CROSSWINDS, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, AT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET ABOVE TOUCHDOWN, THE WIND CHANGED DIRECTION TO A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND. THAT AIRCRAFT UAWED TO THE LEFT AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ABORT THE LANDING, HOWEVER INSUFFIECIENT AIRSPEED EXISTED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR, RIGHT WING LOW. THE NOSE GEAR CONTACTED THE SURFACE AND COLLAPSED. THE RIGHT WING THEN CONTACTED THE SURFACE AND CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO VEER RIGHT. THE CENTRIFIGUAL FORCE FROM THE RIGHT TURN CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT WEIGHT TO SHIFT FROM THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND ULTIMATELY TO THE LEFT WING. THE AIRPLANE SLID ABOUT 40 FEET TO A STOP. THE ELT DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.