What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 20th. Pilot planned a local trip departing hns and returning to hns with an estimated flight time of two hours. The pilot utilized FAA web cams and fore flight for weather information. The pilot checked the metars and tafs and NOTAMS for hns, gst, jnu, yak, sgy.
At 1145 local July 20, N435MA departed hns. At approximately 5500 feet flight level flying over glacier bay national park, south of mount abdallah the pilot noticed oil temperature indication move intothe yellow band.
The pilot performed a low pass of the beach of the grand pacific noting this as the only safe place to put down the aircraft. Power redcution did not result in an immediate drop in oil tempature indication so the pilot performed a precautionary landing on the beach. At 1245LOCAL the aircraft touched down in a three point attitude.
During the rollout the pilot realized that the sand/silt was a lot deeper than he had thought. He tried to keep the momentum lifting the tailwheel out of the sand and started on a wide u-turn to regain his landing tracks which had compacted the sand a bit. While taxing through the sand towards his tracks the sand became deeper and deeper. The propeller had contact with the sand and broke clean off. He had started to close the throttle and the engine quit. The aircraft came to rest on the main wheels and the underside of the cowling and the nose bowl. He closed the mixture and the main fuel valve and shut the ignition off. He exited the aircraft and assessed the damage. He accessed the cowling and found no apparent damage to the topside of the engine . The cruise ship island princess sent a tender over to the beach to render assistance and contacted the coast guard and notified park services.
Post flight inspection - the propeller was damaged. The oil quantity indicated seven quarts. No fuel or oil leaks and no damage to the firewall.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 20TH. PILOT PLANNED A LOCAL TRIP DEPARTING HNS AND RETURNING TO HNS WITH AN ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME OF TWO HOURS. THE PILOT UTILIZED FAA WEB CAMS AND FORE FLIGHT FOR WEATHER INFORMATION. THE PILOT CHECKED THE METARS AND TAFS AND NOTAMS FOR HNS, GST, JNU, YAK, SGY.
AT 1145 LOCAL JULY 20, N435MA DEPARTED HNS. AT APPROXIMATELY 5500 FEET FLIGHT LEVEL FLYING OVER GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH OF MOUNT ABDALLAH THE PILOT NOTICED OIL TEMPERATURE INDICATION MOVE INTOTHE YELLOW BAND.
THE PILOT PERFORMED A LOW PASS OF THE BEACH OF THE GRAND PACIFIC NOTING THIS AS THE ONLY SAFE PLACE TO PUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT. POWER REDCUTION DID NOT RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE DROP IN OIL TEMPATURE INDICATION SO THE PILOT PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE BEACH. AT 1245LOCAL THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A THREE POINT ATTITUDE.
DURING THE ROLLOUT THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THE SAND/SILT WAS A LOT DEEPER THAN HE HAD THOUGHT. HE TRIED TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM LIFTING THE TAILWHEEL OUT OF THE SAND AND STARTED ON A WIDE U-TURN TO REGAIN HIS LANDING TRACKS WHICH HAD COMPACTED THE SAND A BIT. WHILE TAXING THROUGH THE SAND TOWARDS HIS TRACKS THE SAND BECAME DEEPER AND DEEPER. THE PROPELLER HAD CONTACT WITH THE SAND AND BROKE CLEAN OFF. HE HAD STARTED TO CLOSE THE THROTTLE AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE MAIN WHEELS AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE COWLING AND THE NOSE BOWL. HE CLOSED THE MIXTURE AND THE MAIN FUEL VALVE AND SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND ASSESSED THE DAMAGE. HE ACCESSED THE COWLING AND FOUND NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE TOPSIDE OF THE ENGINE . THE CRUISE SHIP ISLAND PRINCESS SENT A TENDER OVER TO THE BEACH TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AND CONTACTED THE COAST GUARD AND NOTIFIED PARK SERVICES.
POST FLIGHT INSPECTION - THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED. THE OIL QUANTITY INDICATED SEVEN QUARTS. NO FUEL OR OIL LEAKS AND NO DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL.