On September 18, 1998, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 182D airplane, N8874X, sustained substantial damage while landing on a remote gravel bar, about 75 miles northeast of Fort Yukon, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by the pilot. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 19, 1998, at 0600, the pilot reported he had been taking off and landing along the Coleen River, in support of friends who were floating down the river. On the accident flight, the pilot was landing toward the south. The wind was from the south about 5 knots. The pilot said that the wind speed decreased to zero, and the airplane touched down in the water, about 20 feet short of his intended landing area. The airplane nosed over, and received damage to the fuselage, wings, and the left wing lift strut.