Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1 accident near Aleknagik, Alaska, June 21, 2024
On June 21, 2024 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1952 Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, registered N55WE, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Aleknagik, Alaska. It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane during initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2024 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Aleknagik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, built 1952 · all BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1s on the register
- Registration
- N55WE · registry record · serial 273
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff in a float-equipped airplane, he heard rustling noises coming from the aft cargo section of the airplane. The pilot glanced behind him to identify the source of the noises and, as he looked forward again, the airplane impacted the water resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 in flight during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,060 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,012 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,907 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 1, 2024; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B (piston); 9,800 hours total
- Operator: Bristol Bay Lodge LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Aleknagik AK at 2:00 am
- Destination: Togiak Village AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from ADL, 25 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PADL 202356Z 05006KT 10SM BKN040 14/10 A2992 RMK AO2 RAE34 SLP136 P0001 60002 T01390100 10161 20100 58006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 28, 2025. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N55WE 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 ANC24LA054.