What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A telephonic conversation with the owner,privacy data omitted, revealed the following: the flight departed tka at 11:40 for a scenic flight including landing on the ruth glacier. After landing, the pilot elected to take off right away to pack the landing surface. The pilot aborted the take-off due to the perception that he was not gaining sufficient airspeed. After slowing down to what he perceived an acceptable speed, he started to turn left, to taxi back to the departure end of the landing/take-off area. During the taxi turn, the right ski dug into the snow, causing the airplane to rotate up onto the right wing, and then completely onto its back. Mr. Roderick suspects flat light conditions may have led to the perception of lack of speed.
Pilots statement:at approximately 1215 Alaska local time, I arrived in the vicinity of the ruth gorge landing area. This is a snow landing site on the ruth glacier. I passed over the site in the up-glacier direction at a height of approximately 500 feet above the landing zone. On this observation pass, I saw clear tracks, likely from aircraft which had landed there the day before. I was also able to clearly see the sleds
Which are used as airstrip markers. I then reversed direction to go down glacier, on a downwind leg for landing, and confirmed my initial
Observations. Based upon these observations and the report of a pilot who had landed there the day before, I decided to land. I executed a normal approach and touchdown. The snow on the surface was deeper and softer than I had expected, so I decided to not stop and risk getting stuck. I successfully completed a turnaround at the top of the strip, but was unable to straighten out for the take-off run, as the airplane continued to turn left. My tail ski was likely stuck in the track of the right main ski. I decided to keep moving and complete a 360 degree turn to get lined up for takeoff, which I did successfully. Acceleration on the takeoff run was insufficient to achieve flying speed. The attempted takeoff run extended some distance past the marker sleds and the previous tracks; perhaps 1000 feet, though that is just a rough estimate. At that point, I decided to undefined, but it became misty perhaps a few thousand feet above the landing site. Visibility below this mist was several miles (I could clearly see up glacier to the mountains at the back of the ruth amphitheater, and down-glacier to the mountains on the east margin of the glacier where it disappears around the curve to the south.
There was no precipitation and the wind was approximately three knots. The light was very flat, which I believe contributed to my underestimation of my forward speed when initiating the turn. Abort the takeoff, as I wasn't accelerating any further, and the airspeed was below the threshold of the airspeed indicator. My intent was to not stop, but to turn back uphill to return to the top of the strip.
I retarded the throttle, and allowed the aircraft to slow to what felt to be a reasonable speed to turn. Shortly after initiating a left turn, I felt the right ski begin to dig in. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft turned inverted and came to rest.
At the time of the accident, the weather was overcast.
As the FAA filed it
A TELEPHONIC CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TKA AT 11:40 FOR A SCENIC FLIGHT INCLUDING LANDING ON THE RUTH GLACIER. AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKE OFF RIGHT AWAY TO PACK THE LANDING SURFACE. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKE-OFF DUE TO THE PERCEPTION THAT HE WAS NOT GAINING SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED. AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO WHAT HE PERCEIVED AN ACCEPTABLE SPEED, HE STARTED TO TURN LEFT, TO TAXI BACK TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE LANDING/TAKE-OFF AREA. DURING THE TAXI TURN, THE RIGHT SKI DUG INTO THE SNOW, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO ROTATE UP ONTO THE RIGHT WING, AND THEN COMPLETELY ONTO ITS BACK. MR. RODERICK SUSPECTS FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS MAY HAVE LED TO THE PERCEPTION OF LACK OF SPEED.
PILOTS STATEMENT:AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 ALASKA LOCAL TIME, I ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE RUTH GORGE LANDING AREA. THIS IS A SNOW LANDING SITE ON THE RUTH GLACIER. I PASSED OVER THE SITE IN THE UP-GLACIER DIRECTION AT A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET ABOVE THE LANDING ZONE. ON THIS OBSERVATION PASS, I SAW CLEAR TRACKS, LIKELY FROM AIRCRAFT WHICH HAD LANDED THERE THE DAY BEFORE. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE THE SLEDS
WHICH ARE USED AS AIRSTRIP MARKERS. I THEN REVERSED DIRECTION TO GO DOWN GLACIER, ON A DOWNWIND LEG FOR LANDING, AND CONFIRMED MY INITIAL
OBSERVATIONS. BASED UPON THESE OBSERVATIONS AND THE REPORT OF A PILOT WHO HAD LANDED THERE THE DAY BEFORE, I DECIDED TO LAND. I EXECUTED A NORMAL APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN. THE SNOW ON THE SURFACE WAS DEEPER AND SOFTER THAN I HAD EXPECTED, SO I DECIDED TO NOT STOP AND RISK GETTING STUCK. I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A TURNAROUND AT THE TOP OF THE STRIP, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT FOR THE TAKE-OFF RUN, AS THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT. MY TAIL SKI WAS LIKELY STUCK IN THE TRACK OF THE RIGHT MAIN SKI. I DECIDED TO KEEP MOVING AND COMPLETE A 360 DEGREE TURN TO GET LINED UP FOR TAKEOFF, WHICH I DID SUCCESSFULLY. ACCELERATION ON THE TAKEOFF RUN WAS INSUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE FLYING SPEED. THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF RUN EXTENDED SOME DISTANCE PAST THE MARKER SLEDS AND THE PREVIOUS TRACKS; PERHAPS 1000 FEET, THOUGH THAT IS JUST A ROUGH ESTIMATE. AT THAT POINT, I DECIDED TO UNDEFINED, BUT IT BECAME MISTY PERHAPS A FEW THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE LANDING SITE. VISIBILITY BELOW THIS MIST WAS SEVERAL MILES (I COULD CLEARLY SEE UP GLACIER TO THE MOUNTAINS AT THE BACK OF THE RUTH AMPHITHEATER, AND DOWN-GLACIER TO THE MOUNTAINS ON THE EAST MARGIN OF THE GLACIER WHERE IT DISAPPEARS AROUND THE CURVE TO THE SOUTH.
THERE WAS NO PRECIPITATION AND THE WIND WAS APPROXIMATELY THREE KNOTS. THE LIGHT WAS VERY FLAT, WHICH I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY UNDERESTIMATION OF MY FORWARD SPEED WHEN INITIATING THE TURN. ABORT THE TAKEOFF, AS I WASN'T ACCELERATING ANY FURTHER, AND THE AIRSPEED WAS BELOW THE THRESHOLD OF THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR. MY INTENT WAS TO NOT STOP, BUT TO TURN BACK UPHILL TO RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE STRIP.
I RETARDED THE THROTTLE, AND ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLOW TO WHAT FELT TO BE A REASONABLE SPEED TO TURN. SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING A LEFT TURN, I FELT THE RIGHT SKI BEGIN TO DIG IN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED INVERTED AND CAME TO REST.
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WEATHER WAS OVERCAST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.