20250920015009A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · 217whiskeymike SQ12 · Big River, AK · September 20, 2025

Date
September 20, 2025 · 12:00 local
Place
Big River, AK
Airport
Off Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N217WM
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC25LA111
Reported as
217whiskeymike SQ12
Reported engine
Lycoming YIO-390 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total1,500 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot was involved in a hunting trip for a moose. Pilot landed in a clearing, Off Airport, to pick up the moose and decided during the landing roll out to position the aircraft up a hill in the clearing to facilitate a later take off, they required full power to keep the aircraft moving. They inadvertently put a main gear in a hole, causing the aircraft to nose over and invert during which time they bent the left wing's forward strut. All times and dates relating to condition inspection, aircraft times and pilot times are as provided by the pilot, pilot stated they would provide log entries to substantiate data and has failed to do so. If the pilot sends the data in and it is in error of anything reported an amendment will be filed.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN A HUNTING TRIP FOR A MOOSE. PILOT LANDED IN A CLEARING, OFF AIRPORT, TO PICK UP THE MOOSE AND DECIDED DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT TO POSITION THE AIRCRAFT UP A HILL IN THE CLEARING TO FACILITATE A LATER TAKE OFF, THEY REQUIRED FULL POWER TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT MOVING. THEY INADVERTENTLY PUT A MAIN GEAR IN A HOLE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO NOSE OVER AND INVERT DURING WHICH TIME THEY BENT THE LEFT WING'S FORWARD STRUT. ALL TIMES AND DATES RELATING TO CONDITION INSPECTION, AIRCRAFT TIMES AND PILOT TIMES ARE AS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT, PILOT STATED THEY WOULD PROVIDE LOG ENTRIES TO SUBSTANTIATE DATA AND HAS FAILED TO DO SO. IF THE PILOT SENDS THE DATA IN AND IT IS IN ERROR OF ANYTHING REPORTED AN AMENDMENT WILL BE FILED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.