ANC07LA108

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while landing.

The private pilot was landing a float-equipped airplane on a portion of a river that was surrounded by trees. During the northerly approach to the river, just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left, and the pilot overcorrected to the right. The right wing collided with a tree that was hanging over the river. The airplane subsequently pivoted to the right, and descended into the river, sustaining structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

On September 27, 2007, about 2030 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N758TG, sustained substantial damage while landing on a river, about 44 miles northwest of Bethel, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Of the three people on board, the private pilot and one passenger sustained no injuries, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Bethel Seaplane Base, Bethel, about 1930. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 28, the pilot reported that he was landing on a portion of a river that was surrounded by trees, and that his northerly approach required a correction for a slight right crosswind. He said that just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left, he overcorrected to the right, and the airplane's right wing collided with a tree that was hanging over the river. The airplane pivoted to the right and descended into the river. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.