Douglas DC3C accident near Anchorage, Alaska, May 8, 2026
On May 8, 2026 at about 4:55 pm local time, a 1944 Douglas DC3C, registered N115U, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Anchorage, Alaska (Anchorage International Airpor airport). It was a business flight 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2026 · about 4:55 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Anchorage International Airpor · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC3C, built 1944 · all DC3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N115U · registry record · serial 33567
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 30,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Desert Air Transport Inc.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from PANC, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PANC 081653Z VRB06KT 10SM FEW030 BKN065 BKN110 04/01 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP089 SH DSNT N T00440006
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N115U on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Douglas DC-3 155 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Douglas 305 aircraft on the register
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,930 since 1982 · 826 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC26LA040.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.