Dehavilland DHC-2 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, July 8, 2012
On July 8, 2012 at about 3:06 am local time, a Dehavilland DHC-2, registered N906JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cantwell, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The right seat passenger’s inadvertent contact with the emergency fuel shutoff valve, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to provide a thorough preflight briefing to the passenger seated in the cockpit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2012 · about 3:06 am local time
- Place
- Cantwell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-2 · all DHC-2s on the register
- Registration
- N906JS · registry record · serial 1659 TB34
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during cruise flight, the engine suddenly lost all power. He attempted to restart the engine but was unable and elected to make a forced landing in a bog. During the landing, the left wing and right elevator stuck trees, sustaining substantial damage. After the forced landing, the pilot noticed that the emergency fuel shutoff lever on the right side of the center console had been moved toward the shutoff position. The passenger who was seated in the right seat of the cockpit stated that he was unaware of the fuel shutoff lever and was not briefed on specific areas to be aware of in the cockpit but that he had been adjusting himself in the seat just prior to the engine shutting down.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Engine shutdown during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Passenger
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel selector/shutoff valve › Unintentional use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,457 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 159 in the last 90 days; 103 in the last 30 days; 1,234 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,909 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 2012; 37 hours since
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fly Denali, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: HRR Healy AK at 9:30 pm
- Destination: HRR Healy AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PATK, 45 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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 N906JS 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.