N8943

On September 22, 2001, about 1540 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N8943, sustained substantial damage during landing at an off-airport site, about 1 mile southeast of Mentasta Lake, Alaska. The solo private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1340, from the Palmer Airport, Palmer, Alaska.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on September 28, the pilot reported that he was landing to the east on a portion of remote highway. He said that as the airplane's main wheels touched down, the airplane bounced. He said that during recovery from the bounce, a gust of wind from the left lifted the left wing, and the airplane drifted to the right. The airplane's right wing collided with a stand of trees and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.