Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, August 7, 2024
On August 7, 2024 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1954 Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2, registered N9303Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Skwentna, Alaska (Bentalit airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 8 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 during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2024 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · Bentalit · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2, built 1954 · all BEAVER DHC-2s on the register
- Registration
- N9303Z · no longer on the register · serial 380
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business 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 out, the right wing impacted trees along the edge of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage and lift strut. 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 on ground during landing (landing roll) 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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,043 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 30, 2024; 19.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bush Air Alaska LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Z-40 Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway n/a, 2,100 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.99 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from PAWS, 47 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAWS 070056Z AUTO 02004KT 10SM -RA FEW029 SCT036 BKN110 17/14 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP158 P0001 T01670139
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 8, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 6 pages | 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 ANC24LA076.