Dehavilland DHC-3T accident near Bettles Field, Alaska, May 28, 2011
On May 28, 2011 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Dehavilland DHC-3T, registered N87AW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bettles Field, Alaska (Sun Private airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for the landing, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2011 · about 10:00 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Bettles Field, Alaska · Sun Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-3T · all DHC-3Ts on the register
- Registration
- N87AW · registry record · serial 52
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing at a remote, private airstrip. He said the landing area was soft, and as the airplane touched down it veered to the left. His efforts to abort the landing with the runway remaining was unsuccessful. The airplane exited the right side of the landing area and collided with a fuel tank farm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, aileron, and the fuselage. The pilot said there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Soft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 26, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,169 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 8,367 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska West Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: PACX Coldfoot AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Bettles Field AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on August 18, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N87AW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Dehavilland DHC-3 67 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Dehavilland 861 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A 2,218 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Coldfoot Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC11LA048.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.