- Date
- May 27, 2024, 16:47 local (May 28, 2024, 00:47 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5343GDehavilland Beaver DHC-2 MK.1
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Fuel starvation
- 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
- Parties
- FAA - Fairbanks FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240527004269A
- Case key
- 194324
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 improper fuel management resulting in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
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, shortly after takeoff while on a post-maintenance check flight, the airplane’s fuel pressure gauge began to fluctuate. Subsequently, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a forced landing that resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator, which were both liberated from the airplane during impact. A post-accident inspection revealed that the pilot had selected a fuel tank containing an inadequate amount of fuel prior to takeoff. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5343G
- Reported as
- Dehavilland Beaver DHC-2 MK.1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 862
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 17,226.9
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney R985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Coyote Air LLC
- Registered owner
- Coyote Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 17, 2024 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- MTF · Metro Field, runway 24, 4,000 × 100 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 20,100 total · 11,970 in this make and model · 20,080 as pilot in command · 117 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 2 nm away
- METAR
- PAFA 272353Z 30007KT 10SM BKN060 BKN080 18/04 A2969 RMK AO2 SLP060 T01780039 10183 20128 50000
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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 N5343G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.