Narrative:

While performing a 'flight seeing' tour of mount mckinley and surrounding area with 6 passenger 1 crew I was trapped VFR in rapidly deteriorating WX. My escape options to 3 alternate fields quickly disappeared as surrounding WX (ceiling and visibility) deteriorated. I flew over the 'park road' west of the eilson visitors center and determined that landing on said road would very likely cause major damage to the wings due to brush height along road and very good likelihood of major wing damage over a dry river bed. Found a precautionary landing on this river gravel was our best option. I informed my passenger of my plan and prepared for our landing. I set up the aircraft at 70 KTS full flap confign. The touchdown was very good and we rolled some, then the terrain features launched us back into the air. I added some power to cushion the second touchdown, then cut power upon touchdown. Then the right main tire blew and the aircraft yawed to the right and came to rest about 30 degree from our landing direction. I assessed our damage state and evacuated the aircraft passenger. After closer inspection I removed survival gear and walked to 1-1/2 mi. The WX in this area (mckinley) changes so fast that a pilot's options can quickly diminish. About 45 mins after or less the WX was - visibility less than 100 ft at the road (road is a little higher elevation).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PAX SIGHTSEEING FLT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX, LANDED ON GRAVEL GAR, LIGHT DAMAGE TO ACFT, NO PAX INJURIES.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING A 'FLT SEEING' TOUR OF MOUNT MCKINLEY AND SURROUNDING AREA WITH 6 PAX 1 CREW I WAS TRAPPED VFR IN RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX. MY ESCAPE OPTIONS TO 3 ALTERNATE FIELDS QUICKLY DISAPPEARED AS SURROUNDING WX (CEILING AND VISIBILITY) DETERIORATED. I FLEW OVER THE 'PARK ROAD' W OF THE EILSON VISITORS CENTER AND DETERMINED THAT LNDG ON SAID ROAD WOULD VERY LIKELY CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE WINGS DUE TO BRUSH HEIGHT ALONG ROAD AND VERY GOOD LIKELIHOOD OF MAJOR WING DAMAGE OVER A DRY RIVER BED. FOUND A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON THIS RIVER GRAVEL WAS OUR BEST OPTION. I INFORMED MY PAX OF MY PLAN AND PREPARED FOR OUR LNDG. I SET UP THE ACFT AT 70 KTS FULL FLAP CONFIGN. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS VERY GOOD AND WE ROLLED SOME, THEN THE TERRAIN FEATURES LAUNCHED US BACK INTO THE AIR. I ADDED SOME PWR TO CUSHION THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN, THEN CUT PWR UPON TOUCHDOWN. THEN THE R MAIN TIRE BLEW AND THE ACFT YAWED TO THE R AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 30 DEG FROM OUR LNDG DIRECTION. I ASSESSED OUR DAMAGE STATE AND EVACUATED THE ACFT PAX. AFTER CLOSER INSPECTION I REMOVED SURVIVAL GEAR AND WALKED TO 1-1/2 MI. THE WX IN THIS AREA (MCKINLEY) CHANGES SO FAST THAT A PLT'S OPTIONS CAN QUICKLY DIMINISH. ABOUT 45 MINS AFTER OR LESS THE WX WAS - VISIBILITY LESS THAN 100 FT AT THE ROAD (ROAD IS A LITTLE HIGHER ELEVATION).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.