The pilot reported that while on a personal cross-country flight, and while approaching his destination airstrip, smoke in the cockpit and oil on the windscreen limited his forward visibility. He said that while landing he inadvertently touched down about 15 yards short of the site. The right wing struck a stand of brush, which pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing subsequently struck the ground.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar and fuselage.

After the accident, the pilot would not disclose to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or the Alaska State Troopers where the airplane was located. Thus, neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor NTSB could examine the airplane after the accident.

The airplane was eventually recovered to Soldotna, Alaska, where a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness aviation safety inspector from the Anchorage Flight Standards District Office inspected it. The FAA inspector reported that the accident pilot had since sold the airplane on an "as is where is" basis. The new owner reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane besides the damage sustained in the accident.