ANC95LA035

During a solo cross-country instructional flight, the student pilot encountered low ceilings in the area of the destination airport. The pilot turned around, however then noticed that the weather conditions seemed to improve. He again started toward the destination. Weather conditions again deteriorated and the pilot decided to land at a remote airstrip for fuel. The runway was snow covered and had several tracks that appeared to be aircraft wheel tracks. The pilot evaluated the runway condition from the air and it appeared to be hard-packed. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered about 9 inches of soft snow and the airplane nosed over. The runway is unattended and maintained by local parties on an unofficial basis. The pilot had accrued 37 total flight hours at the time of the accident.

On March 18, 1995, about 1420 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 150, N88808, crashed during landing at Skelton Airstrip near the Eureka Roadhouse, about 50 miles southwest of Glennallen, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) solo cross-country instructional flight to Gulkana Airport, Glennallen, when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Red Baron Air, Anchorage, Alaska, sustained substantial damage. The pilot, holder of a student pilot certificate, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, about 1110.

The pilot reported that as the flight progressed through the Tahneta Pass, he observed low ceilings in the area of Glennallen and decided to turn around. The weather then seemed to improve and the pilot once again headed toward Glennallen. The pilot indicated that the weather conditions again deteriorated and he decided to land at Skelton airstrip for fuel. The pilot evaluated the runway surface from the air. The runway appeared hard-packed with numerous tracks on the surface. The pilot performed a soft field landing on runway 03 and during the touchdown, the main landing gear dug into about 9 inches of soft snow. The airplane then nosed over and received damage to the nose wheel, engine, and vertical stabilizer.

The airport/facility directory for Skelton airstrip states in part: "Airport remarks - unattended. Runway condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using. Runway 03/21 rough and soft when wet, dips and bumps in runway... Runway 03 last 1,120 feet narrows to 15 feet wide. Airport maintained by local parties on an unofficial basis."