Curtiss Wright C-46F accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, July 3, 2013
On July 3, 2013, a Curtiss Wright C-46F, registered N1837M, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International Airpor airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure of the right main landing gear side brace due to fatigue, which resulted in a collapse of the right main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2013
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss Wright C-46F · all C-46Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1837M · registry record · serial 22388
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the maintenance test flight, the flight crew moved the landing gear handle to the "down" position but did not observe the three green landing gear down-and-locked lights illuminate. After cycling the landing gear "several" times they observed a gear down-and-locked indication in the cockpit. After landing, while taxiing to parking, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing and aileron struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The right landing gear side brace fractured near the fuselage attach forging due to fatigue, which initiated near the weld between the large end fuselage attach forging and the outer tube. No obvious discontinuities such as porosity or undercutting were visually noted in the weld adjacent to the fracture.
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
- Comm system malf/failure during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,100 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2013
- 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 35,183 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 48,000 lb
- Seats: 65
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P & W R-2800 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P & W R-2800 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Everts Air Fuel INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20R, 11,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.60 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAFA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC13LA063.