On September 13, 1999, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Champion 7ECA airplane, N3017G, sustained substantial damage while landing on an area of beach at Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 13, 1999, the pilot reported he departed a beach next to the Port Heiden airport for a local flight. During the landing roll upon his return to the beach, he began a right turn to proceed uphill from the water. The main landing gear tires struck a clump of grass, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing spar, the windshield, and the vertical stabilizer.