What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/16/2012, the Alaska regional operations center received a report from the Alaska state troopers of a Piper PA-18 airplane that was found significantly damaged at the big lake, AK airport. The troopers were told the airplane was involved in an accident near the mouth of the deshka river and was moved to the big lake Alaska airport by helicopter. On Monday, June 18, 2012, the FAA iic contacted the helicopter company by telephone. A representative of the helicopter company told the FAA iic the airplane was extracted near the confluence of the deshka and sustitna rivers following an accident. The owner of the airplane contracted the company to move the airplane for him. On Monday 6/18/2012 the owner, with the damaged airplane loaded on a trailer, moved the airplane from the big lake airport to holliday's aircraft repair located at the birchwood, AK airport. During a telephone interview on 6/19/2012,privacy data omitted told the FAA iic thatprivacy data omitted was the pilot in command (PIC) at the time of the accident. He said he had landed at a small off-airport landing strip at the mouth of the deshka river on Saturday 6/16/2012 at about 5:30 am AK local time. He further stated he had one passenger on board at the time and his purpose for landing there was to go fishing. According to the PIC after touch down and during landing rollout, the airplane's right wing struck a small tree resulting in a loss of control which caused significant damage to the airplane. The PIC stated that weather was VMC at the time. According to the pilot, the sun was shining directly in his face causing him to have difficulty with seeing during the flight's landing phase. He said in hindsight, because the sun was impairing the visibility of the landing strip, he should have discontinued the landing. He further stated he could not have made a safe approach and landed in the opposite direction because of the height of trees from that direction. On 6/20/2012, the FAA iic and another ASI from AL03 traveled to the birchwood airport to meet with the PIC and examine his pilot and medical certificates along with the aircraft wreckage and maintenance records. All presented was found to be in compliance with 14 CFR.
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/16/2012, THE ALASKA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE ALASKA STATE TROOPERS OF A PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE THAT WAS FOUND SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED AT THE BIG LAKE, AK AIRPORT. THE TROOPERS WERE TOLD THE AIRPLANE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE DESHKA RIVER AND WAS MOVED TO THE BIG LAKE ALASKA AIRPORT BY HELICOPTER.ON MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012, THE FAA IIC CONTACTED THE HELICOPTER COMPANY BY TELEPHONE. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HELICOPTER COMPANY TOLD THE FAA IIC THE AIRPLANE WAS EXTRACTED NEAR THE CONFLUENCE OF THE DESHKA AND SUSTITNA RIVERS FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT. THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANE CONTRACTED THE COMPANY TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE FOR HIM.ON MONDAY 6/18/2012 THE OWNER, WITH THE DAMAGED AIRPLANE LOADED ON A TRAILER, MOVED THE AIRPLANE FROM THE BIG LAKE AIRPORT TO HOLLIDAY'S AIRCRAFT REPAIR LOCATED AT THE BIRCHWOOD, AK AIRPORT.DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON 6/19/2012,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOLD THE FAA IIC THAT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE SAID HE HAD LANDED AT A SMALL OFF-AIRPORT LANDING STRIP AT THE MOUTH OF THE DESHKA RIVER ON SATURDAY 6/16/2012 AT ABOUT 5:30 AM AK LOCAL TIME. HE FURTHER STATED HE HAD ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD AT THE TIME AND HIS PURPOSE FOR LANDING THERE WAS TO GO FISHING. ACCORDING TO THE PIC AFTER TOUCH DOWN AND DURING LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING STRUCK A SMALL TREE RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CONTROL WHICH CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PIC STATED THAT WEATHER WAS VMC AT THE TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE SUN WAS SHINING DIRECTLY IN HIS FACE CAUSING HIM TO HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH SEEING DURING THE FLIGHT'S LANDING PHASE. HE SAID IN HINDSIGHT, BECAUSE THE SUN WAS IMPAIRING THE VISIBILITY OF THE LANDING STRIP, HE SHOULD HAVE DISCONTINUED THE LANDING. HE FURTHER STATED HE COULD NOT HAVE MADE A SAFE APPROACH AND LANDED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHT OF TREES FROM THAT DIRECTION.ON 6/20/2012, THE FAA IIC AND ANOTHER ASI FROM AL03 TRAVELED TO THE BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT TO MEET WITH THE PIC AND EXAMINE HIS PILOT AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES ALONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS. ALL PRESENTED WAS FOUND TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.