- Date
- May 28, 2017, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Petersville, AK
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N561TADehavilland DHC 2
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170528008949A
- Case key
- 95207
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 unsuitable terrain for taxiing, which resulted in a nose-over.
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 pilot of the ski-equipped airplane reported that, as the tailwheel touched down on the glacier, the snow was deeper and softer than he had expected. He added that, during the uphill landing, he chose not to stop the airplane and risk getting stuck. Instead, he completed a turn at the top of the landing area but was unable to straighten the direction of travel enough for a takeoff. Subsequently, to straighten the airplane before the takeoff, he completed a left 360° turn. During the downhill takeoff, the airplane had poor acceleration and insufficient airspeed to fly, so he aborted the takeoff. As he reduced the engine power, the airplane slowed to what he felt to be a reasonable speed, and he initiated a left turn to taxi back to the top. Subsequently, the right ski dug into the snow, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the ski-equipped airplane reported that, as the tailwheel touched down on the glacier, the snow was deeper and softer than he had expected. He added, that during the uphill landing, he elected not to stop the airplane and risk getting stuck. Instead, he completed a turn at the top of the landing area, but was unable to straighten the direction of travel enough for a takeoff. Subsequently, to straighten the airplane before the takeoff, he completed a left 360° turn. During the downhill takeoff, the airplane had poor acceleration and insufficient airspeed to fly, so he aborted the takeoff. As he reduced the engine power, the airplane slowed to what he felt to be a reasonable speed and he initiated a left turn. Subsequently, the right ski dug into the snow, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N561TA
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC 2 (MK 1)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 581
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 16,049
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R 985-AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc
- Registered owner
- Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 17, 2017
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- N/A · Petersville, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- N/A · Great Gorge of Ruth Glacier
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,707 total · 218 in this make and model · 4,655 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEC, 22 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 20, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.