- Date
- July 15, 2022, 13:25 local (21:25 UTC)
- Place
- Bettles, AK · River landing on floats
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4040WDehavilland Beaver DHC-2 MK.1
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20220715011049A
- Case key
- 105523
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during taxi operations on a riverbank with shallow water.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that after landing on a river with low water levels, the left float dug into the shallow water, and the airplane turned hard left into the riverbank. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4040W
- Reported as
- Dehavilland Beaver DHC-2 MK.1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1147
- Built
- 1957
- Engine
- Pratt Whitney R-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- Jespersen Aircraft Services Inc, doing business as Brooks Range Aviation
- Registered owner
- Jespersen Aircraft Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PABT · Bettles, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 27, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 70.9 in this make and model · 155 in the last 90 days · 65.5 in the last 30 days · 9.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 12 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 1974.00 inHg
- METAR
- SA 15/07/2022 11:53-> METAR PABT 151153Z 03004KT 10SM FEW080 BKN100 12/04 A2974 RMK AO2 SLP075 T01170039 10161 20117 58005=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4040W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.