Amateur-built DHC-3 accident near Wainwright, Alaska, September 2, 2006
On September 2, 2006 at about 8:45 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-3, registered N3125N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wainwright, Alaska (Wainwright airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control, and subsequent collision with a ditch when the airplane departed the runway. A factor contributing to the accident was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2006 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Wainwright, Alaska · Wainwright · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-3
- Registration
- N3125N · registry record · serial 394
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was landing a wheel-equipped airplane on runway 23, during a Title 14, CFR Part 135, cargo flight. The pilot indicated that the wind at the airport was from 180 degrees. He described the wind strength as 10 knots or greater, indicated by streaks of white foam on many nearby lakes, with the streaks of foam appearing perpendicular to the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot applied right brake and right rudder, but the airplane departed off the left side of the runway, rolled down an embankment, and collided with a ditch. The airplane received structural damage to left main landing gear assembly, the left aileron, and the fuselage. In the Recommendation '(How could this accident have been prevented?)' portion of the NTSB accident report, the pilot indicated that he should not have landed with the existing crosswind.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 4,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,786 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2006; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl AW-2-30 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PABR Barrow AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PAWI Wainwright AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 23, 4,494 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3125N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.