What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated he departed soldotna airport at 7:45 am to fly 6 nautical miles to 88AK, Sterling airport (dutch landing strip) arriving approximately 8 am. Weather reported at soldotna was clear, visibility 10 sm, temperature at 4 deg c with winds 360 at 3 KTS. Flying toward the east, the pilot was on short final for runway 7. The pilot drifted toward the north side of the runway due to sun glare effect, clipped trees once and then impacted trees a second time. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, the pilot was unharmed. He further stated he immediately moved the mixture control to idle cutoff position, turned off the master switch and the magnetos, and exited the aircraft. He then notified the NTSB of the accident.
The cause of the accident is the pilot?s loss of aircraft control while on short final and impacting trees. The sun glare contributed to the pilot?s inability to maintain runway alignment and the pilot?s decision to continue with the landing and not to perform a go-around procedure.
FAA corrective action for the pilot included counseling regarding go-around procedures via phone conversations and email. See ptrs aer AL05 201800901. NTSB GAA18CA211.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED SOLDOTNA AIRPORT AT 7:45 AM TO FLY 6 NAUTICAL MILES TO 88AK, STERLING AIRPORT (DUTCH LANDING STRIP) ARRIVING APPROXIMATELY 8 AM. WEATHER REPORTED AT SOLDOTNA WAS CLEAR, VISIBILITY 10 SM, TEMPERATURE AT 4 DEG C WITH WINDS 360 AT 3 KTS. FLYING TOWARD THE EAST, THE PILOT WAS ON SHORT FINAL FOR RUNWAY 7. THE PILOT DRIFTED TOWARD THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO SUN GLARE EFFECT, CLIPPED TREES ONCE AND THEN IMPACTED TREES A SECOND TIME. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE PILOT WAS UNHARMED. HE FURTHER STATED HE IMMEDIATELY MOVED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO IDLE CUTOFF POSITION, TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND THE MAGNETOS, AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. HE THEN NOTIFIED THE NTSB OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT IS THE PILOT?S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AND IMPACTING TREES. THE SUN GLARE CONTRIBUTED TO THE PILOT?S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALIGNMENT AND THE PILOT?S DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH THE LANDING AND NOT TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND PROCEDURE.
FAA CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR THE PILOT INCLUDED COUNSELING REGARDING GO-AROUND PROCEDURES VIA PHONE CONVERSATIONS AND EMAIL. SEE PTRS AER AL05 201800901. NTSB GAA18CA211.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8702Z · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.