What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed soldotna airport en route to Lake Hood strip with two passengers. En route, the pilot checked ATIS information and updated the weather for his arrival. Approximately 20NM from Anchorage, the pilot was in contact with Anchorage approach. Subsequently, the pilot was cleared to Anchorage tower for his arrival into Lake Hood strip. Anchorage tower asked if the pilot was familiar with the strip and he said yes. The pilot overflew the runway to establish his offset for landing on runway 31. He intended to land at the end of the runway and roll to the end as the runway was reported with snow and ice. As he approached the base turn, he identified what he believed were the runway lights for the strip. Pilot felt the main gear contact the snow. As the nose gear contacted the snow, the nose began to sink and snow flowed over the cowling. The pilot determined that he was not on the runway but had landed at another location. The aircraft continued to nose over under it flipped on the top. The pilot executed an emergency evacuation of the airplane with his passengers. There were no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED SOLDOTNA AIRPORT EN ROUTE TO LAKE HOOD STRIP WITH TWO PASSENGERS. EN ROUTE, THE PILOT CHECKED ATIS INFORMATION AND UPDATED THE WEATHER FOR HIS ARRIVAL.APPROXIMATELY 20NM FROM ANCHORAGE, THE PILOT WAS IN CONTACT WITH ANCHORAGE APPROACH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO ANCHORAGE TOWER FOR HIS ARRIVAL INTO LAKE HOOD STRIP. ANCHORAGE TOWER ASKED IF THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE STRIP AND HE SAID YES.THE PILOT OVERFLEW THE RUNWAY TO ESTABLISH HIS OFFSET FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 31. HE INTENDED TO LAND AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND ROLL TO THE END AS THE RUNWAY WAS REPORTED WITH SNOW AND ICE. AS HE APPROACHED THE BASE TURN, HE IDENTIFIED WHAT HE BELIEVED WERE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS FOR THE STRIP. PILOT FELT THE MAIN GEAR CONTACT THE SNOW. AS THE NOSE GEAR CONTACTED THE SNOW, THE NOSE BEGAN TO SINK AND SNOW FLOWED OVER THE COWLING. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT HE WAS NOT ON THE RUNWAY BUT HAD LANDED AT ANOTHER LOCATION. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO NOSE OVER UNDER IT FLIPPED ON THE TOP. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF THE AIRPLANE WITH HIS PASSENGERS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.