# Accident 20180804010069A: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), Denali, AK, August 4, 2018 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 4, 2018, 17:55 local time - Place: Denali, AK - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: ERHA - Location: 62.7903° N, 151.2253° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.7903&lon=-151.2253&mi=10 - Aircraft: N323KT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N323KT-2019-03-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) (registry code 2808002, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-2-mk-i-l20a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 5 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,587 total, 225 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC18FA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC18FA063) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180804010069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON AUGUST 4, 2018 AT APPROX 1700L, K2 AVIATION N323KT, A DHC-2 MKI 'BEAVER' DEPARTED PATK ON A CFR PART 135 FLIGHTSEEING TRIP IN AND AROUND DENALI NATIONAL PARK WITH FIVE PERSONS ON BOARD. AT APPROX 1755L, K2 DISPATCH RECEIVED A ELT ALERT AND SATELLITE PHONE PING FROM N323KT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DISPATCH RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PILOT OF N323KT. PILOT STATED THAT "HE HAD HIT THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE?" DISPATCH REPLIED TO THE PILOT THAT "THEY HAD HIS GPS COORDINATES FROM THE SAT PHONE AND WERE GETTING HELP." THE SAT PHONE CALL WAS THEN LOST/DISCONNECTED. LOST AIRCRAFT NOTIFICATIONS WERE THEN PUT INTO PLACE WITH THE RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER (RCC), NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS), ALASKA AIR NATIONAL GUARD, ALASKA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, U.S.. ARMY AND FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER (FAA-ROC). K2 DISPATCH ALSO NOTIFIED TWO OTHER COMPANY PLANES THAT WERE IN THE AREA TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR N323KT, BUT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL ON LOCATING THE A/C DUE TO WX IN THE AREA. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT VIA SAT PHONE WITH PILOT. APPROX FIVE MINUTES LATER DISPATCH WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTION WITH THE PILOT. DISPATCH STATED TO THE PILOT " WE'RE GETTING HELP....KEEP YOUR SAT PHONE ON." PILOT STATED "WE NEED HELP." DISPATCHED ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES AND PILOT REPLIED "YES". WHEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY FATALITIES, PILOT STATED "I BELIEVE POSSIBLY TWO." HE THEN STATED "I'M WEDGED IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT." AT THAT TIME THE SAT PHONE CALLED WAS DROPPED/LOST. NO FURTHER CONTACT WAS EVER ESTABLISH AGAIN. NPS & USAF RCC RESCUE PERSONNEL SEARCHED FOR THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL DARKNESS AND WX CEASED OPERATIONS. SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUED THE NEXT DAY, BUT DUE TO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS, THE CRASH SITE WAS NOT LOCATED. AUGUST 6, 2018 THE CREW OF THE NPS'S HIGH ALTITUDE RESCUE HELICOPTER LOCATED THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE IN AN ICE CREVASSE, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROX 10,920FT MSL, ON A HANGING GLACIER ON THE LATERAL RIDGE OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN APPROX 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE DENALI SUMMIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIGHLY FRAGMENTED AND THE RIGHT WING HAD SEPARATED AND FALLEN SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET BELOW THE MAIN WRECKAGE. SUBSEQUENTLY, AN NPS MOUNTAIN RESCUE RANGER WAS ABLE TO ACCESS THE ACCIDENT SITE UTILIZING A TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS A SHORT-HAUL, WHICH ALLOWS TRANSPORT OF RESCUE PERSONNEL TO OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE SITES WHILE SUSPENDED BENEATH A HELICOPTER USING A LONG-LINE. ONCE ON SCENE, AND WHILE STILL CONNECTED TO THE HELICOPTER, THE RANGER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE THE DECEASED PILOT AND THREE OF THE PASSENGERS IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE, BUT THE FIFTH OCCUPANT WAS MISSING. THE FUSELAGE WAS FRACTURED AFT OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE WINGS, AND THE FUSELAGE WAS SPLAYED OPEN WITH BLOWN, PACKED SNOW INSIDE. RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS LIMITED THE INITIAL ON-SCENE TIME TO ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND THE MISSION WAS THEN CANCELLED. ON AUGUST 10, 2018 NPS LAUNCHED ANOTHER SHORT-HAUL SITE ASSESSMENT MISSION. DURING THIS MISSION, THE FIFTH OCCUPANT WAS LOCATED IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE AND WAS CONFIRMED DECEASED. ACCORDING TO NPS MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL, GIVEN THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES POSED BY THE STEEPNESS OF TERRAIN, ICE CREVASSE, AVALANCHE DANGER, AND THE INSTABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT RECOVERY OF THE OCCUPANTS REMAINS, AND RETRIEVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE, EXCEED AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF RISK AND THEREFORE A RECOVERY OF PERSONS OR AIRCRAFT WILL NOT BE ATTEMPTED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC18FA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC18FA063), Aug 5, 2018: De Havilland DHC-2 (N323KT), Talkeetna, AK, substantial damage, 5 fatal. Probable cause: Impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not recovered due to the inaccessible nature of the accident site. ## Other reports on N323KT (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20120521010869A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120521010869A), May 21, 2012: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) (N323KT), Talkeetna, AK, Substantial damage. 05/21/2012 – 1245 Local time. Pilot departed Talkeetna Airport for a trip to Mt. Mckinley base camp to pick up 4 passengers. This was his second trip of the… - [Accident 20080511836989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080511836989A), May 11, 2008: Dhav L20A (N323KT), Talkeetna, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) While landing on runway 18 at Talkeetna, Alaska, the aircraft did a small bounce off the right wheel. During the next touchdown, the tires were locked… - [Accident 20080205009969A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080205009969A), Feb 5, 2008: Dhav DHC2MK1 (N323KT), Tatitna, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) During interview with the pilot on 02/06/08, he indicated that he was at the 8KA Tatitna, AK rohn roadhouse. Before take off he walked off the runway to… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.