What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot departed Kenai airport at 22:53Z with approximately 20 gallons of fuel and a light load consisting of: a tent, sleeping bag, two firearms and survival gear. Weather was clear with smoke reported. The pilot flew across cook inlet at 4500 feet and direct to an off-airfield landing area on the kustatan river, approximately 35 statute miles northwest of Kenai. The pilot had flown into the unimproved strip numerous times over the past few months and spent several hours brushing it out in preparation for a hunting base camp. The landing area remained quite rough with several dips and bumps.
The pilot set up the landing to the south and into an approximately 10 knot headwind. The pilot landed hard, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to line the aircraft up with the runway in hopes to perform a go-around maneuver, but impacted brush and a small (approx. 4") birch tree with the left leading edge wing, approximately 250 feet from initial touch down point.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT DEPARTED KENAI AIRPORT AT 22:53Z WITH APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL AND A LIGHT LOAD CONSISTING OF: A TENT, SLEEPING BAG, TWO FIREARMS AND SURVIVAL GEAR. WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH SMOKE REPORTED. THE PILOT FLEW ACROSS COOK INLET AT 4500 FEET AND DIRECT TO AN OFF-AIRFIELD LANDING AREA ON THE KUSTATAN RIVER, APPROXIMATELY 35 STATUTE MILES NORTHWEST OF KENAI. THE PILOT HAD FLOWN INTO THE UNIMPROVED STRIP NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND SPENT SEVERAL HOURS BRUSHING IT OUT IN PREPARATION FOR A HUNTING BASE CAMP. THE LANDING AREA REMAINED QUITE ROUGH WITH SEVERAL DIPS AND BUMPS.
THE PILOT SET UP THE LANDING TO THE SOUTH AND INTO AN APPROXIMATELY 10 KNOT HEADWIND. THE PILOT LANDED HARD, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LINE THE AIRCRAFT UP WITH THE RUNWAY IN HOPES TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND MANEUVER, BUT IMPACTED BRUSH AND A SMALL (APPROX. 4") BIRCH TREE WITH THE LEFT LEADING EDGE WING, APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET FROM INITIAL TOUCH DOWN POINT.
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 N7184B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.