De Havilland DHC-2 N105RL

Summary

On 13 June 2004 at about 02:30 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N105RL, operated by Jacob O. Ortman, was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 June 2004 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Gattis Strip (16AK)

Coordinates

61.5992, -149.3469

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2

Registration

N105RL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jacob O. Ortman

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Northway → Wasilla

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC04LA064

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision with a log. Factors contributing to the accident were a tailwind, a lack of brake pedals at the second pilot station, and the second pilot's lack of a tailwheel endorsement.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The second pilot, who was seated in the right seat, was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on runway 04 at a private airport. Runway 04 is 1,200 feet long, and has an asphalt surface. The second pilot indicated that runway 04 sloped uphill, and he was landing with a slight tailwind. He said that the right pilot position did not have any brake pedals, and that he did not have a tailwheel endorsement. He relied on the first pilot, seated in the left seat, to apply the brakes after touchdown. The second pilot said that during the landing roll, as the first pilot applied the brakes, the airplane veered sharply to the right and departed the runway. The right main landing gear wheel struck a log, the right wing contacted several small trees, and the airplane momentarily nosed down. The airplane received structural damage at the right main landing gear attach point, damage to the propeller, the aft fuselage adjacent to the tailwheel attach point, and the left main landing gear strut. The closest official weather observation station, located 3 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, was reporting, in part: Wind, 240 degrees (true) at 7 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.