What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed Cordova city strip around noon and was flying with his 11-year-OLD son to go look for shed antlers. He made three low passes over the intended off-airport landing site that was about 6 miles east of Cordova. On the second pass, he touched the wheels down lightly to test the landing surface and it seemed fine. He described the surface as hard and dry tundra. During the landing the wheels slowed normally. Then as the airplane slowed to the point where it was almost at a stop; the wheels sank on the surface that was undetectably mushy. He stated that the surface condition was such that, if the airplane had some more forward speed, it probably would have continued to roll. But, the aircraft was slow enough that the wheels sank in and the aircraft nosed over in slow-motion. He estimated that the aircraft was moving forward at 10 mph when the aircraft nose-over occurred. He stated that the aircraft came to rest on it's back about 2.5 feet from where the prop made initial contact with the ground. Both the pilot and his son were uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED CORDOVA CITY STRIP AROUND NOON AND WAS FLYING WITH HIS 11-YEAR-OLD SON TO GO LOOK FOR SHED ANTLERS. HE MADE THREE LOW PASSES OVER THE INTENDED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING SITE THAT WAS ABOUT 6 MILES EAST OF CORDOVA. ON THE SECOND PASS, HE TOUCHED THE WHEELS DOWN LIGHTLY TO TEST THE LANDING SURFACE AND IT SEEMED FINE. HE DESCRIBED THE SURFACE AS HARD AND DRY TUNDRA. DURING THE LANDING THE WHEELS SLOWED NORMALLY. THEN AS THE AIRPLANE SLOWED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ALMOST AT A STOP; THE WHEELS SANK ON THE SURFACE THAT WAS UNDETECTABLY MUSHY. HE STATED THAT THE SURFACE CONDITION WAS SUCH THAT, IF THE AIRPLANE HAD SOME MORE FORWARD SPEED, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO ROLL. BUT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOW ENOUGH THAT THE WHEELS SANK IN AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER IN SLOW-MOTION. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVING FORWARD AT 10 MPH WHEN THE AIRCRAFT NOSE-OVER OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON IT'S BACK ABOUT 2.5 FEET FROM WHERE THE PROP MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. BOTH THE PILOT AND HIS SON WERE UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.