What happened
During an air taxi cargo flight, an airline transport certificated pilot was performing a landing approach on a gravel-surfaced runway. During the approach, the aircraft encountered a downdraft. As a result of this encounter, the aircraft landed short of the runway threshold. According to reports from airport personnel, the aircraft collided with the lip of the runway.
The impact caused significant structural damage: the nose landing gear assembly was torn off the aircraft, and the left main landing gear folded aft. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were reported as clear with light turbulence, and the wind was 290 degrees at 8 to 10 knots.
Findings
Information from the FAA's Airport Facility Directory/Alaska Supplement noted that the runway is trough-shaped, being low in the center and high at both ends. The directory also includes a caution regarding strong crosswinds at this specific location.