What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description: aircraft crash on knik river statement of events: the pilot departed pamr (merrill field) approx. 2:30 pm en route to birchwood to visit a friend prior to flying to the knik river to complete some river landings for practice. No flight plan was filed prior to departing home station or any en route stops. He stated that he didn't contact fss or receive any weather reports prior to departing but did check both birchwood and Palmer Airport AWOS en route. He stated there was no significant weather reports for high winds or low ceilings in either AWOS reports. The pilot has approximately 480 total flying hours with recency experience of 20 HRS/60 HRS/80 hours in the past 30/60/90 days. His training with a CFI included frequent visits to the knik river area for river landings. He estimated that he has been to the river area 40 times. The pilot stated the weather was clear with good visibility and lighting. All landings/takeoffs were completed into the prevailing windsafter approximately 6 landings on the river, the pilot stated that he stopped to review his landing distance marks when an unexpected wind came down the glacier/river. The wind suddenly was 15 knots gusting to 20 knots. The wind picked up his aircraft tail and the left wing and engine impacted the ground, causing an immediate stoppage of the engine. The pilot was wearing a helmet and restraint harness. He was able to climb from the airplane and after determining there was no fire hazard, he climbing into the airplane to get a rope to attempt to tie the airplane down so the winds would not flip the airplane over more. After 20 minutes, he was not able to correct the airplane and the aircraft flipped onto the top, damaging the right strut, tail, and propeller. The pilot was rescued by a passing boat and made contact with the kenai fss once he had good cell phone coverage. The pilot is well-trained and experienced with landing on a river bed. The circumstances of the gust winds could not be foreseen. Pre-mission planning and contacting kenai fss before departing could have provided information about pilot reports in the river area or wind velocity trending. Recommendations: recommend a 44709 evaluation via table top in lieu of a flight evaluation. The circumstances of the incident do not warrant a flight evaluation as proper preflight planning and risk analysis could have prevent the incident.
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION: AIRCRAFT CRASH ON KNIK RIVER STATEMENT OF EVENTS: THE PILOT DEPARTED PAMR (MERRILL FIELD) APPROX. 2:30 PM EN ROUTE TO BIRCHWOOD TO VISIT A FRIEND PRIOR TO FLYING TO THE KNIK RIVER TO COMPLETE SOME RIVER LANDINGS FOR PRACTICE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED PRIOR TO DEPARTING HOME STATION OR ANY EN ROUTE STOPS.HE STATED THAT HE DIDN'T CONTACT FSS OR RECEIVE ANY WEATHER REPORTS PRIOR TO DEPARTING BUT DID CHECK BOTH BIRCHWOOD AND PALMER AIRPORT AWOS EN ROUTE. HE STATED THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER REPORTS FOR HIGH WINDS OR LOW CEILINGS IN EITHER AWOS REPORTS.THE PILOT HAS APPROXIMATELY 480 TOTAL FLYING HOURS WITH RECENCY EXPERIENCE OF 20 HRS/60 HRS/80 HOURS IN THE PAST 30/60/90 DAYS. HIS TRAINING WITH A CFI INCLUDED FREQUENT VISITS TO THE KNIK RIVER AREA FOR RIVER LANDINGS. HE ESTIMATED THAT HE HAS BEEN TO THE RIVER AREA 40 TIMES. THE PILOT STATED THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND LIGHTING. ALL LANDINGS/TAKEOFFS WERE COMPLETED INTO THE PREVAILING WINDSAFTER APPROXIMATELY 6 LANDINGS ON THE RIVER, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE STOPPED TO REVIEW HIS LANDING DISTANCE MARKS WHEN AN UNEXPECTED WIND CAME DOWN THE GLACIER/RIVER. THE WIND SUDDENLY WAS 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. THE WIND PICKED UP HIS AIRCRAFT TAIL AND THE LEFT WING AND ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND, CAUSING AN IMMEDIATE STOPPAGE OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT WAS WEARING A HELMET AND RESTRAINT HARNESS. HE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB FROM THE AIRPLANE AND AFTER DETERMINING THERE WAS NO FIRE HAZARD, HE CLIMBING INTO THE AIRPLANE TO GET A ROPE TO ATTEMPT TO TIE THE AIRPLANE DOWN SO THE WINDS WOULD NOT FLIP THE AIRPLANE OVER MORE. AFTER 20 MINUTES, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE AIRPLANE AND THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ONTO THE TOP, DAMAGING THE RIGHT STRUT, TAIL, AND PROPELLER.THE PILOT WAS RESCUED BY A PASSING BOAT AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE KENAI FSS ONCE HE HAD GOOD CELL PHONE COVERAGE. THE PILOT IS WELL-TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED WITH LANDING ON A RIVER BED. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE GUST WINDS COULD NOT BE FORESEEN.PRE-MISSION PLANNING AND CONTACTING KENAI FSS BEFORE DEPARTING COULD HAVE PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT PILOT REPORTS IN THE RIVER AREA OR WIND VELOCITY TRENDING.RECOMMENDATIONS: RECOMMEND A 44709 EVALUATION VIA TABLE TOP IN LIEU OF A FLIGHT EVALUATION. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INCIDENT DO NOT WARRANT A FLIGHT EVALUATION AS PROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND RISK ANALYSIS COULD HAVE PREVENT THE INCIDENT.
Other reports on N7511H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.