De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 N1544

Summary

On 24 January 2018 at about 21:20 local time, a De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 registered N1544, operated by Andrew Airways Inc, was involved in an accident near Kodiak, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

24 January 2018 at 21:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Kodiak, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.1178, -152.5531

Aircraft

De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2

Registration

N1544

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Operator

Andrew Airways Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kodiak → Kodiak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC18LA025

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was landing at an unimproved airstrip after an on-demand flight. He stated that, after a normal touchdown, as he applied the brakes during the ground roll, the airplane "veered hard to the right." He added power in an attempt to gain control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane departed the airstrip to the right, traveled through bushes and trees, and came to rest against an embankment. The right wing came to rest against the terrain, and the right main landing gear separated from the gear box, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot further stated that before the accident flight, the brake system had been flushed and bled due to two brake failures earlier in the day. During the removal of the landing gear components for recovery of the airplane, the brake system was compromised, and no fluid was retained for testing for possible contamination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.