- Date
- August 2, 1996, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Stuyahok, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N800NCde Havilland DHC-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960802025999A
- Case key
- 2872
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 collapse of the nosegear precipitated by the failure of the hydraulic nosegear drag strut locking actuator.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane's nosegear collapsed during a landing roll on a gravel airstrip. Subsequent examination of the nosegear locking mechanism disclosed a failed hydraulic drag strut locking actuator.
Factual narrative
On August 2, 1996, about 1100 Alaska daylight time, a deHavilland DHC-4 airplane, N800NC, registered to and operated by Greatland Air Cargo, sustained substantial damage while landing at the New Stuyahok airstrip, New Stuyahok, Alaska. The commercial certificated captain and first officer were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 135 cargo flight operated in visual meteorological conditions.
During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on August 5, the captain related that during the landing roll at New Stuyahok, the nose gear suddenly collapsed. The captain said the landing was normal and uneventful until the nosegear collapsed. He also said that the green, gear down and locked light, was appropriately illuminated, and that he was uncertain why the nosegear collapsed.
The airplane was returned to its maintenance base and repaired. According to the pilot, the nose gear hydraulic drag strut actuator malfunctioned, and failed to remain in the down locked position. He said the part was changed, and the nosegear operated properly. He also indicated that the drag strut actuator service life is "on condition." The failed part, part number 5460-3, had approximately 1400 service hours at the time of failure. The pilot, who is also a certificated aviation mechanic, believes that additional inspections of the drag strut and associated hoses are warranted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N800NC
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-4
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 98
- Airframe hours
- 14,638
- Engine
- P&W R2000-7M2, 1,450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Greatland Air Cargo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 1, 1996 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- ANC · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- KNW
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- KNW · New Stuyahok
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,670 total · 850 in this make and model · 15,670 as pilot in command · 334 in the last 90 days · 108 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.