de Havilland DHC-3
Talkeetna, AK — April 28, 2008
Event Information
| Date | April 28, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ANC08CA065 |
| Event ID | 20080630X00945 |
| Location | Talkeetna, AK |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 62.75000, -151.83333 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | de Havilland |
| Model | DHC-3 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 135 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 8 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in an overload failure of the tail ski assembly during the landing roll.
Full Narrative
The commercial pilot related he was transporting mountain climbers to a remote mountain glacier, and was landing the wheel-ski equipped airplane in deep snow. During the landing roll, he said he felt a slight bump, and stopped the airplane. Inspection disclosed that the tail ski had become buried in deep snow during a turn, breaking the tail ski attachment bracket, which resulted in the ski puncturing the lower fuselage and damaging a structural bulkhead. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.