What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 11 2018 pilot took off from fairbanks chena marina air field at approximately 1300 local in his Cessna 180 on straight skis and alone. He was flying a 135 operation to a remote cabin to deliver cargo. The weather was good for flying. There was a 9 knot wind according to the weather at the nearest town of Nenana. During descent he said everything was going perfect. He noticed that the smoke coming from a cabin nearby indicated very little wind. When he flared for landing, he said he felt some wind shear and set the aircraft down a little short of where he intended and it was a hard landing. The area he landed appeared to be clear and snow covered. Under the snow there were hidden tussocks that the skis hit. The aircraft spun abruply to the right and flipped onto the right wing. The right wing crushed and folded. The aircraft came to an abrupt stop. The pilot was uninjured. The right wing, right horizontal tail, and right landing gear are substantially damaged. When the landing gear collapsed parts punched holes in the fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 11 2018 PILOT TOOK OFF FROM FAIRBANKS CHENA MARINA AIR FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 LOCAL IN HIS CESSNA 180 ON STRAIGHT SKIS AND ALONE. HE WAS FLYING A 135 OPERATION TO A REMOTE CABIN TO DELIVER CARGO. THE WEATHER WAS GOOD FOR FLYING. THERE WAS A 9 KNOT WIND ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER AT THE NEAREST TOWN OF NENANA. DURING DESCENT HE SAID EVERYTHING WAS GOING PERFECT. HE NOTICED THAT THE SMOKE COMING FROM A CABIN NEARBY INDICATED VERY LITTLE WIND. WHEN HE FLARED FOR LANDING, HE SAID HE FELT SOME WIND SHEAR AND SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN A LITTLE SHORT OF WHERE HE INTENDED AND IT WAS A HARD LANDING. THE AREA HE LANDED APPEARED TO BE CLEAR AND SNOW COVERED. UNDER THE SNOW THERE WERE HIDDEN TUSSOCKS THAT THE SKIS HIT. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN ABRUPLY TO THE RIGHT AND FLIPPED ONTO THE RIGHT WING. THE RIGHT WING CRUSHED AND FOLDED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED. THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT HORIZONTAL TAIL, AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. WHEN THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED PARTS PUNCHED HOLES IN THE FUSELAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.