Summary
On August 03, 2011, a Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) (N723DR) was involved in an incident near Northway, AK. All 5 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to identify unsuitable terrain for landing and subsequent contact with a dirt mound, resulting in the separation of the tailwheel from the airframe.
On August 3, 2011, about 0950 Alaska daylight time, a deHavilland DHC-2 airplane, N723DR, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing approximately 40 miles south of Northway, Alaska. The airplane was registered to and operated by Copper Valley Air Service, LLC, Glennallen, Alaska, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi flight, under contract to the U.S. National Parks Service (NPS). The pilot and four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The public use flight originated at the Gulkana Airport, Glennallen, Alaska about 0830.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC11TA079. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N723DR.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to identify unsuitable terrain for landing and subsequent contact with a dirt mound, resulting in the separation of the tailwheel from the airframe.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On August 3, 2011, about 0950 Alaska daylight time, a deHavilland DHC-2 airplane, N723DR, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing approximately 40 miles south of Northway, Alaska. The airplane was registered to and operated by Copper Valley Air Service, LLC, Glennallen, Alaska, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi flight, under contract to the U.S. National Parks Service (NPS). The pilot and four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The public use flight originated at the Gulkana Airport, Glennallen, Alaska about 0830. The purpose of the flight was to transport NPS employees to a remote site to take water samples and do a site survey.
In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot stated that during the landing, as the airplane was coming to a stop, he noticed a problem with the tailwheel. After he unloaded the passengers, he realized that the tailwheel casting had broken, and the tailwheel spindle and fork had separated from the airframe. He inspected the landing area, and noticed that he had hit a small, 4-inch, bank of dirt in the grass that he had not seen.
A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector discovered substantial damage the aft fuselage bulkhead.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC11TA079