Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot misjudging the touchdown point, which resulted in landing short of the sand bar and the airplane nosing over.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The tricycle gear equipped airplane was being landed on a gravel bar in calm winds. The pilot stated that he landed short, the nose wheel dug in, and the airplane flipped over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On October 11, 1997, at 1620 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 182B airplane, N7269E, sustained substantial damage during landing on a gravel bar near Lake George, Alaska, twenty three miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska. The private pilot and sole passenger were uninjured. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, as a personal flight to drop off a friend on a hunting trip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, winds were calm, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at 1530 from the Palmer-Butte airstrip. The pilot was making his second landing on the gravel bar, having dropped off one passenger at 1550. The airplane was equipped with 8.50 x 6 inch tires, and tricycle landing gear. The pilot stated to the NTSB investigator during a telephone interview on October 11, 1997, that he "...Made a mistake, landed short, and the airplane nosed over onto its back." He made the same statement to the FAA inspector. -