Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1 accident near Kokhanok, Alaska, July 6, 2025
On July 6, 2025 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1951 Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, registered N67251, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Kokhanok, Alaska. It was a business 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 failure to attain a proper touchdown point during landing which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2025 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kokhanok, Alaska · 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 1951 · all BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1s on the register
- Registration
- N67251 · registry record · serial 251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that while on final approach for landing at a remote lake, the airplane descended unexpectedly while crossing the shoreline. The airplane touched down prematurely in shallow water, impacting the rocky bottom, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,151.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-985 AN-1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kvichak River AK at 3:45 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 am from PAIG, 27 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAIG 061656Z AUTO 36005KT 10SM FEW049 OVC060 12/08 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP112 T01220083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 21, 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, 9 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.
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 ANC25LA068.