- Date
- May 3, 2019, 16:30 local (May 4, 2019, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- McCarthy, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N456SFDe Havilland DHC2
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190503015179A
- Case key
- 99394
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 a proper approach path in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane landing short of the airstrip and bouncing.
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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the approach to land on a private, gravel-covered airstrip, a dust cloud obscured three-quarters of the airstrip, but the approach end of the airstrip remained visible. He added that, during the approach, the airplane encountered wind shear, and the main landing gear then impacted terrain before the approach end of the airstrip. The airplane then bounced and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear box. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was variable from 060° to 120° at 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot landed the airplane to the east.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, on approach to land on a private, gravel-covered airstrip, a dust cloud obscured three-quarters of the airstrip, but the approach end of the airstrip remained visible. He added that, during the approach, the airplane encountered wind shear, the main landing gear impacted terrain before the approach end of the airstrip, the airplane bounced, and came to rest nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the landing gear box. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was variable from 060° to 120° at 20 knots gusting to 25 knots. The pilot landed the airplane to the east.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N456SF
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC2 (III)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1683 TB51
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 21,750.9
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT-6-27, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 14, 2018
- Destination
- PVT · McCarthy, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- PVT · Ultima Thule Lodge, runway 09, 2,000 × 100 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- None
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 31,096 total · 5,724 in this make and model · 31,096 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- 23 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 28, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.