Dehavilland DHC-2 accident near Mccarthy, Alaska, July 12, 2023
On July 12, 2023 at about 2:30 am local time, a 1949 Dehavilland DHC-2, registered N814DW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mccarthy, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 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
A failure of the right brake caliper bolts during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 12, 2023 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-2, built 1949 · all DHC-2s on the register
- Registration
- N814DW · registry record · serial 34
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on a gravel-covered airstrip, the airplane veered left, went through an embankment, and came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right brake caliper bolts failed in overload. The lower bolt was broken in half, the upper bolt was not located, and the brake caliper was located in brush. Given that the airplane is routinely operated from rough, uneven, gravel-covered, off airport sites, it is likely that the brake caliper and bolts sustained impact damage, resulting in the failure of the attachment hardware.
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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,379 hours in all; 1,009 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 9,361 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,186 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 30, 2023; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,370 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B (piston); 11,690 hours total
- Operator: Wrangell Mountain Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAMX Mccarthy AK at 2:20 am
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from PAGK, 85 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAGK 111753Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 13/08 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP141 T01330078 10133 20106 58001 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC23LA052.