What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated:description of incident: I was drawn for a caribou permit in unit 14. On August 14 I flew over this area in search of potential landing locations. I located a location that looked like it would make a good landing spot. On August 18 I flew over the location several times and estimated the surface condition and length to confirm that they would be acceptable to use for landing. On August 19 I practiced landings at the gravel strip at the wasilla airport. I did 8 landings. On August 20 I checked to make sure the weather in Talkeetna was good and departed the wasilla airport. I left the wasilla airport at approximately 1:30 to land at the location I had identified. When I arrived at the location I had selected I made several low passes to again estimate the length and condition of the strip. Everything looked to be acceptable. I then made a pass from both directions and touched my wheels to the surface to confirm that the landing surface was firm and smooth enough. Everything again appeared to be acceptable. I decided to land from the uphill side thinking that it would give me additional options should things not go as anticipated. I made my approach and touched down at the beginning of the ridge. As I began my roll out the plane became airborne. I am not sure whether it was a gust of wind or a bump on the surface. I pushed the throttle wide open to go around. As I passed the end of the ridge I lost lift and the plane started to descend. At approximately 25' lower than the ridge I was on the planes left wheel came in contact with a side slope, the plane then turned into the slope, the left wing tip hit the ground and the plane nosed over and flipped landing upside down.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED:DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT: I WAS DRAWN FOR A CARIBOU PERMIT IN UNIT 14. ON AUGUST 14 I FLEW OVER THIS AREA IN SEARCH OF POTENTIAL LANDING LOCATIONS. I LOCATED A LOCATION THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD MAKE A GOOD LANDING SPOT. ON AUGUST 18 I FLEW OVER THE LOCATION SEVERAL TIMES AND ESTIMATED THE SURFACE CONDITION AND LENGTH TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO USE FOR LANDING. ON AUGUST 19 I PRACTICED LANDINGS AT THE GRAVEL STRIP AT THE WASILLA AIRPORT. I DID 8 LANDINGS. ON AUGUST 20 I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE WEATHER IN TALKEETNA WAS GOOD AND DEPARTED THE WASILLA AIRPORT. I LEFT THE WASILLA AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 TO LAND AT THE LOCATION I HAD IDENTIFIED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE LOCATION I HAD SELECTED I MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES TO AGAIN ESTIMATE THE LENGTH AND CONDITION OF THE STRIP. EVERYTHING LOOKED TO BE ACCEPTABLE. I THEN MADE A PASS FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS AND TOUCHED MY WHEELS TO THE SURFACE TO CONFIRM THAT THE LANDING SURFACE WAS FIRM AND SMOOTH ENOUGH. EVERYTHING AGAIN APPEARED TO BE ACCEPTABLE. I DECIDED TO LAND FROM THE UPHILL SIDE THINKING THAT IT WOULD GIVE ME ADDITIONAL OPTIONS SHOULD THINGS NOT GO AS ANTICIPATED. I MADE MY APPROACH AND TOUCHED DOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RIDGE. AS I BEGAN MY ROLL OUT THE PLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. I AM NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS A GUST OF WIND OR A BUMP ON THE SURFACE. I PUSHED THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN TO GO AROUND. AS I PASSED THE END OF THE RIDGE I LOST LIFT AND THE PLANE STARTED TO DESCEND. AT APPROXIMATELY 25' LOWER THAN THE RIDGE I WAS ON THE PLANES LEFT WHEEL CAME IN CONTACT WITH A SIDE SLOPE, THE PLANE THEN TURNED INTO THE SLOPE, THE LEFT WING TIP HIT THE GROUND AND THE PLANE NOSED OVER AND FLIPPED LANDING UPSIDE DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.