What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 11, 2022 at approximately 1130 local N135ES a borrowed aircraft with an expired special airworthiness certificate departed birchwood airport Alaska with one pax for personal flights to land on glaciers on tordrillo mountains at approximately 4600 elevation near Beluga Alaska. After a couple of landings for the purposes of dropping off a snow skier, the pilot attempted landing one last time at the same location as the previous landing.
The pilot setup the landing as previously completed but failed to maintain the correct airspeed and floated and impacted a depression in the landing zone that caused damage to the landing ski landing gear and the left wing. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft with no injuries.
It does not appear that the accident was the result of an airworthiness issue of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 11, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 LOCAL N135ES A BORROWED AIRCRAFT WITH AN EXPIRED SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE DEPARTED BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT ALASKA WITH ONE PAX FOR PERSONAL FLIGHTS TO LAND ON GLACIERS ON TORDRILLO MOUNTAINS AT APPROXIMATELY 4600 ELEVATION NEAR BELUGA ALASKA. AFTER A COUPLE OF LANDINGS FOR THE PURPOSES OF DROPPING OFF A SNOW SKIER, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED LANDING ONE LAST TIME AT THE SAME LOCATION AS THE PREVIOUS LANDING.
THE PILOT SETUP THE LANDING AS PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED BUT FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT AIRSPEED AND FLOATED AND IMPACTED A DEPRESSION IN THE LANDING ZONE THAT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING SKI LANDING GEAR AND THE LEFT WING. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF AN AIRWORTHINESS ISSUE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.