ANC95LA084

The pilot was making an approach to a 3800 foot long gravel airstrip which had a 60 foot hill at the approach end. The airplane's tail struck the ground during landing. According to information from the operator, the airplane's sink rate was not sufficiently arrested by the flight crew before touchdown, and the tail skid struck the ground during the landing flare.

On June 5, 1995, at 1400 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped, retractable gear, Lockheed L-382E airplane, N906SJ, registered to and operated by Southern Air Transport of Columbus, Ohio, dragged its tail during landing at Nixon Fork Mine, located 28 miles north of McGrath, Alaska. The unscheduled cargo flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 121, departed Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, and the destination was Nixon Fork Mine. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airline transport certificated pilot-in-command, the first officer, and the flight engineer, the only occupants, were not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.

During a telephone conversation with Southern Air Transport's L-382 Chief Pilot, he stated that the airplane, N906SJ, is 18 feet longer than the other L-382 airplanes. He stated it was real easy to drag the tail if you developed a sink rate and attempted to arrest the sink rate by increasing the landing flare. This airplane was landing on runway 35 at Nixon Fork Mine and the approach was over a 60 foot high hill. The hill is situated at the threshold of runway 35. The runway is 3,800 feet long and 75 feet wide.