Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dillingham, Alaska 99576
Tuesady, March 21, 2006 18:30 AST

The commercial certificated pilot was maneuvering over a remote, snow-covered area, preparing to land a ski-equipped airplane on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot was accompanied by a second airplane throughout most of the day, making multiple landings to check trap lines. The accident pilot announced that he was planning to land and reset a trap, and the second airplane continued to a remote cabin where the two airplanes were planning to meet. When the accident airplane did not arrive, the second airplane searched for and located the burning wreckage. Search and rescue personnel responded to the scene and transported the pilot to a hospital. The accident pilot reported that he remembered circling over his intended landing area, but did not remember the crash. Photographs of the wreckage revealed that the airplane collided with the snow in a near level attitude with little forward movement. The airplane had upward crushing of the wings and fuselage. The right wing was displaced forward of its normal position and had aft leading edge crushing of the outboard half of the wing. The pilot said there was no mechanical malfunction of the flight controls or the engine. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot, the pilot described the history of the flight and noted, "Presumably - Unintended stalled condition at relatively low altitude led to high impact crash."

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with snow-covered terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadvertent stall.