What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot attempted landing at chelle lake airstrip, 17 NM nw of Gulkana, AK. On first pass Mr. Freeman made a low approach to check runway conditions which were: dry gravel, 740 feet long, north/south orientation, 3% grade with up-hill to the north, and many vertical undulations on last half of uphill end. After the low approach Mr. Freeman attempted a landing to the south and into favoring winds from the south east at 3 to 10 KTS. On the first attempt Mr. Freeman said he experienced a wind shear and after touching down elected to go-around. He then changed directions, electing to land to the north and up-hill. During this landing Mr. Freeman said he overshot the threshold by 140 feet due to tailwind situation and encountered the surface undulations which caused the aircraft to bounce into the air again and again. He stated that he was never able to slow the aircraft very much due to the fact that he kept becoming airborne. Finally, upon reaching a point near the end, Mr. Freeman said he had to apply such braking force that the aircraft nose-over hard and caused substantial damage to the propeller, nose cone, right wing, and the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer. Consider pilot ability (decision making process) and short field landing technique additionally causal to this accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED LANDING AT CHELLE LAKE AIRSTRIP, 17 NM NW OF GULKANA, AK. ON FIRST PASS MR. FREEMAN MADE A LOW APPROACH TO CHECK RUNWAY CONDITIONS WHICH WERE: DRY GRAVEL, 740 FEET LONG, NORTH/SOUTH ORIENTATION, 3% GRADE WITH UP-HILL TO THE NORTH, AND MANY VERTICAL UNDULATIONS ON LAST HALF OF UPHILL END. AFTER THE LOW APPROACH MR. FREEMAN ATTEMPTED A LANDING TO THE SOUTH AND INTO FAVORING WINDS FROM THE SOUTH EAST AT 3 TO 10 KTS. ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT MR. FREEMAN SAID HE EXPERIENCED A WIND SHEAR AND AFTER TOUCHING DOWN ELECTED TO GO-AROUND. HE THEN CHANGED DIRECTIONS, ELECTING TO LAND TO THE NORTH AND UP-HILL. DURING THIS LANDING MR. FREEMAN SAID HE OVERSHOT THE THRESHOLD BY 140 FEET DUE TO TAILWIND SITUATION AND ENCOUNTERED THE SURFACE UNDULATIONS WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE INTO THE AIR AGAIN AND AGAIN. HE STATED THAT HE WAS NEVER ABLE TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT VERY MUCH DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE KEPT BECOMING AIRBORNE. FINALLY, UPON REACHING A POINT NEAR THE END, MR. FREEMAN SAID HE HAD TO APPLY SUCH BRAKING FORCE THAT THE AIRCRAFT NOSE-OVER HARD AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, NOSE CONE, RIGHT WING, AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. CONSIDER PILOT ABILITY (DECISION MAKING PROCESS) AND SHORT FIELD LANDING TECHNIQUE ADDITIONALLY CAUSAL TO THIS ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.