What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airman was privacy data omitted, and sole occupant, of N9013U, an experimental Maule Bushwacker aircraft, that crashed on 09/22/2014 near Iliamna, Alaska. N9013U departed the Iliamna Airport for an unnamed portion of tundra which contained an area that other bushwheel-equipped aircraft had landed in the past. The airman stated that it was a fairly windy day. The airman estimates that the winds at the Iliamna Airport during departure were from the north-northwest at about 10 KTS with gusts to 16 KTS. While en-route, the airman estimated the wind at approximately 25 KTS, since the aircraft ground speed was about 25 KTS slower than his indicated airspeed. While in proximity to the intended landing surface of tundra, the airman decided that in order to land into the wind, he would need to land approximately 30 degrees off of the tracks that were left by previous aircraft. Even though this was an "off-airport" landing in tundra, the airman stated that he has extensive experience in off-airport operations, and that all of this flight time during the last 15 years has been exclusively off-airport. Accordingly, the airman established a long final-approach in order to become familiar with the characteristics of the wind around the landing surface. The airman said that it was very bumpy and rough while above 1,000' AGL. At approximately 500' AGL, the wind smoothed out, and did not require any additional control inputs. The airman also estimates that the wind was directly on the aircraft's nose, as he had intended, because he did not need any control input to maintain the aircraft's ground track to the intended landing surface. The aircraft's groundspeed on short final was approximately 25 KTS. At approximately 10-15' AGL, the aircraft encountered a large crosswind gust of wind. This gust was very abrupt, so the airman added full power to "get out of it," and try to "go-around." This gust caused the aircraft to enter a 70 degree bank to the right. The airman was unable to recover the aircraft even with full opposite control inputs, and while still at full power. Because the airman perceived that he could not recover the aircraft from this state, he "chopped the power," and the aircraft settled very fast. Because of the excessive bank angle, the right wing tip scrapped the ground, causing the aircraft to cartwheel towards the left, shearing off the left landing gear. Once the aircraft came to a rest, the airman exited the aircraft uninjured. The airman estimated that the aircraft came to rest within 90 feet from the time the right wing tip struck the ground.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRMAN WAS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND SOLE OCCUPANT, OF N9013U, AN EXPERIMENTAL MAULE BUSHWACKER AIRCRAFT, THAT CRASHED ON 09/22/2014 NEAR ILIAMNA, ALASKA. N9013U DEPARTED THE ILIAMNA AIRPORT FOR AN UNNAMED PORTION OF TUNDRA WHICH CONTAINED AN AREA THAT OTHER BUSHWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED IN THE PAST. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT IT WAS A FAIRLY WINDY DAY. THE AIRMAN ESTIMATES THAT THE WINDS AT THE ILIAMNA AIRPORT DURING DEPARTURE WERE FROM THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 10 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 16 KTS. WHILE EN-ROUTE, THE AIRMAN ESTIMATED THE WIND AT APPROXIMATELY 25 KTS, SINCE THE AIRCRAFT GROUND SPEED WAS ABOUT 25 KTS SLOWER THAN HIS INDICATED AIRSPEED. WHILE IN PROXIMITY TO THE INTENDED LANDING SURFACE OF TUNDRA, THE AIRMAN DECIDED THAT IN ORDER TO LAND INTO THE WIND, HE WOULD NEED TO LAND APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES OFF OF THE TRACKS THAT WERE LEFT BY PREVIOUS AIRCRAFT. EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS AN "OFF-AIRPORT" LANDING IN TUNDRA, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN OFF-AIRPORT OPERATIONS, AND THAT ALL OF THIS FLIGHT TIME DURING THE LAST 15 YEARS HAS BEEN EXCLUSIVELY OFF-AIRPORT. ACCORDINGLY, THE AIRMAN ESTABLISHED A LONG FINAL-APPROACH IN ORDER TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WIND AROUND THE LANDING SURFACE. THE AIRMAN SAID THAT IT WAS VERY BUMPY AND ROUGH WHILE ABOVE 1,000' AGL. AT APPROXIMATELY 500' AGL, THE WIND SMOOTHED OUT, AND DID NOT REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL CONTROL INPUTS. THE AIRMAN ALSO ESTIMATES THAT THE WIND WAS DIRECTLY ON THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE, AS HE HAD INTENDED, BECAUSE HE DID NOT NEED ANY CONTROL INPUT TO MAINTAIN THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUND TRACK TO THE INTENDED LANDING SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUNDSPEED ON SHORT FINAL WAS APPROXIMATELY 25 KTS. AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15' AGL, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A LARGE CROSSWIND GUST OF WIND. THIS GUST WAS VERY ABRUPT, SO THE AIRMAN ADDED FULL POWER TO "GET OUT OF IT," AND TRY TO "GO-AROUND." THIS GUST CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER A 70 DEGREE BANK TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRMAN WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT EVEN WITH FULL OPPOSITE CONTROL INPUTS, AND WHILE STILL AT FULL POWER. BECAUSE THE AIRMAN PERCEIVED THAT HE COULD NOT RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT FROM THIS STATE, HE "CHOPPED THE POWER," AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED VERY FAST. BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE BANK ANGLE, THE RIGHT WING TIP SCRAPPED THE GROUND, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CARTWHEEL TOWARDS THE LEFT, SHEARING OFF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST, THE AIRMAN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED. THE AIRMAN ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITHIN 90 FEET FROM THE TIME THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.