# Accident 20250506004949A: Dehavilland DHC-6-300, Boulder City, NV, May 6, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 6, 2025, 14:50 local time - Place: Boulder City, NV - Airport: Boulder City Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: GCNA - Location: 35.9496° N, 114.8606° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9496&lon=-114.8606&mi=10 - Aircraft: N142SA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N142SA) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-6-300 (registry code 2802630, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A (registry code 52043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-60a) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-6-300 - Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-60A - People aboard: 13 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA152) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250506004949A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MAY 6, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 2140Z/14:50 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), A DEHAVILLAND DHC-6-300, OPERATED UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND PASSENGER FLIGHT WITH 11 PASSENGERS AND 2 PILOTS EXPERIENCED A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH HAIL APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SOUTH OF BOULDER CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KBVU). THE FLIGHT DEPARTED GRAND CANYON BAR 10 RANCH (1Z1) AT 14:15 MST. AT APPROXIMATELY 14:50 MST, 7 MILES SOUTH OF KBVU DURING DESCENT FOR A STRAIGHT-IN LANDING ON RUNWAY 33 AT KBVU, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED HAIL THAT WAS REPORTED BY THE PILOTS TO HAVE LASTED 5-6 SECONDS IN DURATION. THE TWO (2) CERTIFICATED PILOTS AND ELEVEN (11) PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE WEATHER AT KBVU DURING THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA, VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CONDITIONS WITH WIND REPORTED 090 DEGREES AT 9-10 KNOTS. THE FAA LAS FSDO INVESTIGATION AND ON-SITE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED HAIL IMPACT DAMAGE TO BOTH WING LEADING EDGES, LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND LEADING EDGE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE INVESTIGATION ALSO FOUND EVIDENCE OF HAIL PUNCTURE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT NOSE RADOME AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE INNER PANE OF THE PILOT’S WINDSHIELD. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL AND THE EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. THE OPERATOR’S MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL ABNORMALITY THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) AND SECOND-IN-COMMAND (SIC) PROVIDED SEPARATE ORAL AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS TO THE OPERATOR’S FLIGHT DEPARTMENT WHICH CONCUR WITH THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO AND DURING THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE HAIL. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS AN INADVERTANT INFLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH HAIL. THE OPERATOR PERFORMED AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT DISCUSSED THE ADVERSE WEATHER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY APROXIMATELY 12 MINUTES FROM LANDING AT KBVU. THE PILOT-IIN-COMMAND (PIC) STATED THAT THEY WERE OBSERVING THE WEATHER VISUALLY AND DIGITALLY USING AWOS, IPAD RADAR, AND METAR INFORMATION. THE PIC STATED THAT HE BEGAN MANUEVERING SOUTH OF KBVU AND CONSIDERED DEVIATING TO HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KHND), BUT CONTINUED TO KBVU SINCE THE VISIBILITY WAS CLEARING. THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE HAIL OCCURRED IN CLEAR SKIES WHILE FLYING WESTBOUND AND PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL TO RUNWAY 33 AT KBVU. AFTER THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE HAIL, THE PIC DID NOT NOTICE ANY ADVERSE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AT KBVU. ON 5/22/2025, I DISCUSSED THE ACCIDENT AND ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO MITIGATE RE-OCCURENCE WITH THE OPERATOR’S DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS (DO). AFTER MY DISCUSION WITH THE DO I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE ATTENTION THE OPERATOR MADE TO THIS ACCIDENT AND THE LEVEL OF RISK MITIGATION TO PREVENT RE-OCCURRENCE. • THE OPERATOR INTENDS TO INCREASE VIGILENCE IN WEATHER OBSERVATION BOTH ON GROUND AND IN AIR WHEN WEATHER MAY BE A FACTOR. • SUGGESTED WORKING WITH ATC FOR VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING WHEN WEATHER MAY BE A FACTOR. • ENHANCE THEIR RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX TO IDENTIFY AND INCLUDE ADDITIONAL RISK POSSIBILITIES, SUCH AS SPECIFIC WEATHER REPORTING (AIRMET, SIGMET, FREEZING LEVELS) AND SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT DIFFERENCES. THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION WILL BE CLOSED PER OPERATOR’S PROACTIVE OPERATIONAL MITIGATION TO PREVENT RE-OCCURRENCE. ## 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 WPR25LA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA152), May 6, 2025: Dehavilland DHC-6-300 (N142SA), Boulder City, NV, substantial damage, investigation ongoing ## Other reports on N142SA (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20110521010679I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110521010679I), May 21, 2011: Dehavilland DHC-6-300 (N142SA), Boulder City, NV, No damage. On 05/21/2011, the right engine on N142SA, a DHC-6-300, serial number 241 failed during cruise flight. The flight crew shut down the right engine and and made… 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.