Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1 accident near Soldotna, Alaska, April 22, 2023
On April 22, 2023 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1957 Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, registered N454FU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Soldotna, Alaska (Soldotna Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in the main landing gear wheels breaking through the snow and the airplane nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 2023 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Soldotna, Alaska · Soldotna Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, built 1957 · all BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1s on the register
- Registration
- N454FU · registry record · serial 1193
- 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, to avoid excessive wear on the airplane’s Bushwheels, he decided to not land on the paved runway and instead he landed on the snow-covered gravel runway. During landing, the airplane decelerated rapidly as the main wheels touched down into the snow. The airplane subsequently nosed over sustaining substantial damage to the right-wing lift struts and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167.3 hours in all; 42.1 in this make and model; 15.2 in the last 90 days; 9.8 in the last 30 days; 121.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- 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: 19,126.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2022; 40.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney R-985 AN14B (piston); 8,064 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Polly Creek AK at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25S, 2,300 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from PAEN, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAEN 222053Z 24007KT 10SM SCT100 05/M02 A2982 RMK AO2 SLP099 T00501022 56014
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. 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 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photograph | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ANC23LA030.