De Havilland DHC-2-MK3 N1459T

Summary

On 15 January 1982 at about 21:00 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2-MK3 registered N1459T, operated by Sea Airmotive, Inc., was involved in an accident near Near Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 January 1982 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Near Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

71.2806, -156.7793

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2-MK3

Registration

N1459T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sea Airmotive, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Umiat → (Remote Field)

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC82DA015

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE PILOT RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT THE LANDING AREA. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE LANDING AREA WOULD BE CLEARED OR PREPARED AND BE DEFINED BY FLARE POTS. HE BELIEVED HE WOULD BE LANDING ON A FROZEN RIVER. DURING ARRIVAL AFTER DARK, HE FLEW OVERHEAD TO LOOK AT THE LANDING AREA. FROM THE AIR, THE PILOT PERCEIVED THAT THE LANDING AREA WAS ADEQUATE AND HAD BEEN PREPARED BY GROUND PERSONNEL. ON SHORT FINAL, HE SAW A BERM ACROSS THE APPROACH END WHICH TENDED TO CONFIRM THAT THE STRIP HAD BEEN LEVELED OR PREPARED. THE PLANE WAS LANDED ON SKIS WITH THE WHEELS RETRACTED. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT SELECTED REVERSE THRUST TO SLOW THE PLANE. WHILE SLOWING THROUGH ABOUT 30 KNOTS. THE PLANE HIT A THREE FOOT FROZEN SNOWBANK AND WAS DAMAGED. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST LANDING AT THIS LOCATION. THE LANDING AREA WAS UNIMPROVED. ROLLING, SNOW COVERED TUNDRA WITH TEN INCH SNOWDRIFTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.