Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) accident near Kodiak, Alaska, August 21, 2021
On August 21, 2021 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1959 Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), registered N4334Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Kodiak, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2021 · about 5:00 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), built 1959 · all DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)s on the register
- Registration
- N4334Y · registry record · serial 1401
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was practicing glassy water landings in his float-equipped airplane. On his 5th landing of the day, the floatplane landed hard, bounced twice, and came to rest inverted in the water sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the floatplane 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 defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Glassy surface › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 199.9 hours in all; 105.5 in this make and model; 97.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 4, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 5,070 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 164 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9Z3 Kodiak AK at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from PADQ, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PADQ 211653Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/07 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP217 T01220067
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 18, 2022. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Roc | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 2 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
- N4334Y on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Dehavilland DHC-2 255 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Dehavilland 861 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES 1,593 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kodiak/Lilly Lake Seaplane Base · 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/ANC21LA081.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.