- Date
- April 28, 2008, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 8 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N565TAde Havilland DHC-3
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20080428836009A
- Case key
- 68340
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in an overload failure of the tail ski assembly during the landing roll.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot related that he was transporting mountain climbers to a remote mountain glacier, and was landing the wheel-ski-equipped airplane in deep snow. During the landing roll, he said he felt a slight bump, and stopped the airplane. Inspection disclosed that the tail ski had become buried in deep snow during a turn, breaking the tail ski attachment bracket, which resulted in the ski puncturing the lower fuselage and damaging a structural bulkhead. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot related he was transporting mountain climbers to a remote mountain glacier, and was landing the wheel-ski equipped airplane in deep snow. During the landing roll, he said he felt a slight bump, and stopped the airplane. Inspection disclosed that the tail ski had become buried in deep snow during a turn, breaking the tail ski attachment bracket, which resulted in the ski puncturing the lower fuselage and damaging a structural bulkhead. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N565TA
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 47
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc
- Registered owner
- Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 9,700 total · 565 in this make and model · 55 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.