Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A accident near Kokhanok, Alaska, August 3, 2022
On August 3, 2022 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1955 Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, registered N65223, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kokhanok, Alaska. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during takeoff operations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2022 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kokhanok, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, built 1955 · all BEAVER U-6As on the register
- Registration
- N65223 · registry record · serial 55-4602
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the pilot did not taxi back far enough from the shoreline before attempting to takeoff from the water. The pilot was planning to takeoff towards the shoreline and then make a right turn and follow the edge of the shoreline. The pilot did not have enough directional control to make the right turn to follow the shoreline and subsequently the float plane ran aground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,225 hours in all; 4,530 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 31, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,559.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 20, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 5,370 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney 985 (piston); 1,039 hours total
- Operator: Rainbow River Lodge Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PAIL Iliamna AK at 11:30 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:30 pm from PAIL, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): TAF PAIL 032334Z 0400/0424 10015G23KT P6SM -RA FEW025 OVC050 TEMPO 0403/0407 OVC025 FM040800 09013G22KT P6SM -RA OVC050 FM041300 08012G20KT P6SM OVC050 FM041700 06010KT P6SM OVC060=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 N65223 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC22LA082.