What happened
During a public use flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, an airline transport certificated pilot attempted to land at a remote mining airstrip. The airstrip is characterized by an uphill slope, measuring approximately 1,000 feet in length and 16 feet in width.
As the aircraft was performing its landing roll, the right main landing gear tire entered a rut in the surface. This caused the aircraft to veer sharply to the right, leading it into several willow trees. The sequence of ground contact began when the tailwheel struck the ground approximately 53 feet before the start of the airstrip. The main landing gear tires contacted the airstrip surface roughly 75 feet after the initial tailwheel strike. The propeller subsequently struck the ground about 52 feet beyond the approach end of the airstrip, which was approximately 30 feet from the point of main wheel contact.
The investigation
An air safety investigator with the Department of the Interior, Aviation Management Directorate, Aviation Safety Division, examined the accident site. During a subsequent inspection of the aircraft at a Department of the Interior repair facility, inspectors identified damage to an inboard stabilizer rib that would necessitate a major repair.