Incident Overview
A pilot flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane sustained damage during a practice landing on a gravel bar in a river. The flight was conducted as a local area personal flight.
Landing Attempt
The pilot intended to execute a practice landing on the gravel bar, which offered limited landing distance. To maximize the available length, the pilot flew the approach at a low airspeed, aiming to touch down at the very edge of the bar. During the final approach, the airplane encountered a downdraft.
Event Sequence
While on short final, the downdraft caused the airplane's main landing gear tires to contact the surface of the water. The airplane subsequently flipped over onto its back and came to rest on the surface of the gravel bar. According to the pilot, no anomalies were noted with the airplane's flight control systems.
Damage
As a result of the accident sequence, the top of the rudder and one lift strut were bent.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that the airplane's flight controls operated normally throughout the flight, and no malfunctions were identified.