On September 8, 1996, about 2030 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 170B, N2989D, crashed during taxi from landing on a remote gravel bar about 30 miles east of Dillingham, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Dillingham airport at 2000. On September 15, 1996, at 1237, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he was taxiing from landing and encountered a soft spot on the gravel bar. The airplane nosed over and received damage to the rudder and the right wing lift strut.