De Havilland DHC-2 accident near Skwentna, AK
On July 5, 1997, a De Havilland DHC-2 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Skwentna, AK. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 5, 1997
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-2 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 61.930°N, 151.731°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08273
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 5, 1997, about 0930 Alaska daylight time, N5164G, a de Havilland DHC-2 floatplane, operated by Alaska Bush Carrier, Inc., collided with terrain and was substantially damaged during a forced landing attempt near Skwentna, Alaska. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The commercial rated pilot and three passengers were killed. A fourth passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan had been filed. The on-demand air taxi flight departed from Lake Hood, Alaska, at 0840 and was destined for Chelatna Lake, Alaska. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. According to the sole survivor of the accident (interview synopsis and written statements attached), he and the three other passengers arrived at the dock of Alaska Bush Carriers (ABC) sometime between 0700 and 0800 on the morning of the accident for a chartered flight to a fishing lodge. The group was greeted by an ABC employee (interview synopses attached) who asked the passengers how much they weighed. The survivor stated that the accident pilot fueled the airplane and then began loading the baggage. He further stated that he helped load the airplane, and that "light" items were loaded first, followed by a large raft and numerous large bags. The survivor stated that the height of the cargo load did not exceed the height of the rear bench seat back. He said that he was "certain" that the baggage was not secured after it had been loaded; no one had strapped the bags
Probable cause
a loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the no.1 exhaust push rod. Factors contributing to the accident were: insufficient information on pushrod inspection and overhaul from the manufacturer, unsuitable terrain available for landing, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the approach which led to an inadvertent stall.
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Browse: Alaska · De Havilland aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
