Incident Details
According to the pilot, the aircraft was loaded with three hunters and their gear for a flight from Caribou Pass to the Barter Island DEW Station Airport. The pilot stated that he had previously operated into and out of the area under similar loads and conditions.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that he took off downhill and into a slight quartering headwind, employing short-field procedures and 20 degrees of flaps. He stated that the aircraft was barely flying at the 'cutoff point,' at which he elected to use full flaps. After lift-off, the pilot made a 90-degree turn downriver. At some point during the turn, the aircraft settled, and the landing gear contacted the terrain. Subsequently, the left main gear failed, and the wing tip and propeller struck the ground. The aircraft then slid to a stop.