What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
?On June 25 we flew from king salmon to the tikchik lake area with the intention of landing on the noyukuk river near the royal coachman lodge.
?Weather conditions were good VFR. However, there were thunder showers every where and we avoided them. It was over cast, we flew over the river and lodge letting all area occupants know our intentions to land on the river downstream of the lodge.
?The wind was blowing up stream. Looked to be 5 mph with no wind effect on the river. This would be a down wind, upstream landing.
?As I was turning base I could see another beaver coming about 3 miles away and he flashed his landing lights. We then made a 360 turn and came up behind the beaver and watched as he landed on the river he did this uneventfully.
?We then made a 360 turn and set up our landing, it was long, about 2 plane lengths from the trees, bumped the water one time and as the plane settled on the water it turned left. Did not respond to a hard r rudder. The direction was 45 degrees from my landing direction. Within less than a second we were going into the woods. Broke my r leg standing on the rudder.
?The people from royal coachman assisted our exit. Gas was running out of what appeared to be the belly tank. I turned the power off all electrical components and we exited. privacy data omitted Was in the right front seat and sustained a cut on his forehead, we cleaned this up with a paper towel, found it was a small cut on the forehead.
?I have been landing on that section of river for 44 years. But have never landed long in the area we touched down on. Usually touchdown just upstream of the island/gravel bar. I think landing long was a mistake. The second issue was landing with a tail wind. Usually do not do that because of the beaver tail, it sticks up to about 16 feet. If you are on the water and trying to taxi with a tail wind it is difficult to control the direction of the plane. The other option for landing was to land downstream. This would require a pass over the hills proximal to the landing area and a bumpy approach. I usually use a dead stick or power off landing. Using ground effect, then adding power to smooth out the touchdown.
?Landing long leaves less touchdown area. Could not do that because there is a significant set of rapids up stream. Of note the lodge beaver did not have any difficulty. He was using a power on approach. Larry was in the right front seat and reported significant wind effect on the water. The lodge reported that there was significant wind issues at that point on the river.
Passenger statement:
?We were landing on the river below the royal coachmen lodge. This was the usual landing area. The approach to the river was uneventful. The visibility was greater than five (5) miles with scattered clouds and some wind coming down the lake. The beaver from the lodge landed ahead of us and cleared the river. They were about eight (8) minutes ahead of us.
?We landed on the river with one small bounce and settled into the river. I was looking up the river and noted a sharp line crossing the river. We were on the river about three (3) seconds when the plane encountered a shear crossing from left to right (the line in the river) shaking the plane.
?As the plane moved forward the shear hit the tail and the plane was violently shoved crosswise to the river. I looked down the right wing watching it dip toward the water, but it did not touch. We were about 50-60 feet from shore at that point heading into the bank. The plane was moving approximately 25-30 mph at that time.
?We impacted the alders at the riverbank and slid up onto the bank. A dead tree impacted the right windscreen breaking it out
As the FAA filed it
?ON JUNE 25 WE FLEW FROM KING SALMON TO THE TIKCHIK LAKE AREA WITH THE INTENTION OF LANDING ON THE NOYUKUK RIVER NEAR THE ROYAL COACHMAN LODGE.
?WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE GOOD VFR. HOWEVER, THERE WERE THUNDER SHOWERS EVERY WHERE AND WE AVOIDED THEM. IT WAS OVER CAST, WE FLEW OVER THE RIVER AND LODGE LETTING ALL AREA OCCUPANTS KNOW OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND ON THE RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF THE LODGE.
?THE WIND WAS BLOWING UP STREAM. LOOKED TO BE 5 MPH WITH NO WIND EFFECT ON THE RIVER. THIS WOULD BE A DOWN WIND, UPSTREAM LANDING.
?AS I WAS TURNING BASE I COULD SEE ANOTHER BEAVER COMING ABOUT 3 MILES AWAY AND HE FLASHED HIS LANDING LIGHTS. WE THEN MADE A 360 TURN AND CAME UP BEHIND THE BEAVER AND WATCHED AS HE LANDED ON THE RIVER HE DID THIS UNEVENTFULLY.
?WE THEN MADE A 360 TURN AND SET UP OUR LANDING, IT WAS LONG, ABOUT 2 PLANE LENGTHS FROM THE TREES, BUMPED THE WATER ONE TIME AND AS THE PLANE SETTLED ON THE WATER IT TURNED LEFT. DID NOT RESPOND TO A HARD R RUDDER. THE DIRECTION WAS 45 DEGREES FROM MY LANDING DIRECTION. WITHIN LESS THAN A SECOND WE WERE GOING INTO THE WOODS. BROKE MY R LEG STANDING ON THE RUDDER.
?THE PEOPLE FROM ROYAL COACHMAN ASSISTED OUR EXIT. GAS WAS RUNNING OUT OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE BELLY TANK. I TURNED THE POWER OFF ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND WE EXITED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT AND SUSTAINED A CUT ON HIS FOREHEAD, WE CLEANED THIS UP WITH A PAPER TOWEL, FOUND IT WAS A SMALL CUT ON THE FOREHEAD.
?I HAVE BEEN LANDING ON THAT SECTION OF RIVER FOR 44 YEARS. BUT HAVE NEVER LANDED LONG IN THE AREA WE TOUCHED DOWN ON. USUALLY TOUCHDOWN JUST UPSTREAM OF THE ISLAND/GRAVEL BAR. I THINK LANDING LONG WAS A MISTAKE. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS LANDING WITH A TAIL WIND. USUALLY DO NOT DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE BEAVER TAIL, IT STICKS UP TO ABOUT 16 FEET. IF YOU ARE ON THE WATER AND TRYING TO TAXI WITH A TAIL WIND IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANE. THE OTHER OPTION FOR LANDING WAS TO LAND DOWNSTREAM. THIS WOULD REQUIRE A PASS OVER THE HILLS PROXIMAL TO THE LANDING AREA AND A BUMPY APPROACH. I USUALLY USE A DEAD STICK OR POWER OFF LANDING. USING GROUND EFFECT, THEN ADDING POWER TO SMOOTH OUT THE TOUCHDOWN.
?LANDING LONG LEAVES LESS TOUCHDOWN AREA. COULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SET OF RAPIDS UP STREAM. OF NOTE THE LODGE BEAVER DID NOT HAVE ANY DIFFICULTY. HE WAS USING A POWER ON APPROACH. LARRY WAS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT AND REPORTED SIGNIFICANT WIND EFFECT ON THE WATER. THE LODGE REPORTED THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WIND ISSUES AT THAT POINT ON THE RIVER.
PASSENGER STATEMENT:
?WE WERE LANDING ON THE RIVER BELOW THE ROYAL COACHMEN LODGE. THIS WAS THE USUAL LANDING AREA. THE APPROACH TO THE RIVER WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN FIVE (5) MILES WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AND SOME WIND COMING DOWN THE LAKE. THE BEAVER FROM THE LODGE LANDED AHEAD OF US AND CLEARED THE RIVER. THEY WERE ABOUT EIGHT (8) MINUTES AHEAD OF US.
?WE LANDED ON THE RIVER WITH ONE SMALL BOUNCE AND SETTLED INTO THE RIVER. I WAS LOOKING UP THE RIVER AND NOTED A SHARP LINE CROSSING THE RIVER. WE WERE ON THE RIVER ABOUT THREE (3) SECONDS WHEN THE PLANE ENCOUNTERED A SHEAR CROSSING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT (THE LINE IN THE RIVER) SHAKING THE PLANE.
?AS THE PLANE MOVED FORWARD THE SHEAR HIT THE TAIL AND THE PLANE WAS VIOLENTLY SHOVED CROSSWISE TO THE RIVER. I LOOKED DOWN THE RIGHT WING WATCHING IT DIP TOWARD THE WATER, BUT IT DID NOT TOUCH. WE WERE ABOUT 50-60 FEET FROM SHORE AT THAT POINT HEADING INTO THE BANK. THE PLANE WAS MOVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH AT THAT TIME.
?WE IMPACTED THE ALDERS AT THE RIVERBANK AND SLID UP ONTO THE BANK. A DEAD TREE IMPACTED THE RIGHT WINDSCREEN BREAKING IT OUT
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
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