Douglas DC-3C accident near Skwentna, Alaska, July 7, 2009
On July 7, 2009 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Douglas DC-3C, registered N777YA, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Skwentna, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fracture of the airplane's tailwheel shock absorber linkage during taxi, resulting in the collapse of the tailwheel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2009 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-3C · all DC-3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N777YA · no longer on the register · serial 25634
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The crew of a tailwheel-equipped airplane landed on a gravel-covered, off-airport site at the completion of a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 cargo flight. The captain said that while taxiing to parking after an uneventful landing, he and the other pilot heard a loud “thump”, and he stopped the airplane. The crew’s inspection revealed that the airplane’s tailwheel had collapsed, and as a result, the fuselage adjacent to the tailwheel sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed a fractured shock absorber linkage, which was part of the tailwheel swivel assembly.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: January 21, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,950 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 26,900 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 1830-92 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bush Air Cargo INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Skwentna AK
- Runway 30, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N777YA 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.