Amateur-built DHC-6 accident near Chevak, Alaska, March 29, 1990
On March 29, 1990 at about 10:15 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-6, registered N200EH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chevak, Alaska (Chevak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER FLARE BY THE PILOT (PIC) DURING THE LANDING/FLARE. THE WEATHER CONDITION WITH FOG WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 1990 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chevak, Alaska · Chevak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 15 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6
- Registration
- N200EH · registry record · serial 204
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SCHEDULED FLT DEPD BETHEL, AK, WITH A WX DISPATCH RELEASE. WHEN THE FLT REACHED THE DESTN (CHEVAK, AK), THE STATION MANAGER (A NON-CERTIFIED WX OBSERVER) ADZD THE FLT CREW TO NOT ATTEMPT A LNDG, BECAUSE THE WX WAS NOT GOOD. ACCORDING TO THE FLT CREW, HOWEVER, THE FOG WAS NOT OBSCURING THE RWY & THEY ELECTED TO MAKE AN APCH. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT (PIC), A HIGH SINK RATED DEVELOPED ON SHORT FINAL & HE DID NOT APPLY POWER. HE BELIEVED THE LNDG FLARE WOULD HAVE ARREST THE SINK RATE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT LNDD HARD ON THE RGT MAIN GEAR, CAUSING IT TO SEP & DMG THE RGT MAIN WING STRUT. THE RGT WING SETTLED TO THE SURFACE & THE ACFT YAWED TO THE RGT, VEERED OFF THE RWY & WAS FURTHER DMGD. THE LOAD MANIFEST DID NOT COMPLY WITH 14 CFR PART 135.63(C) OR THE COMPANY'S OPERATIONS MANUAL.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 280 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 14,450 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,160 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 12, 1990; 150 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,579 lb
- Seats: 17
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BET Bethel AK at 9:25 pm
- Destination: VAK
- Runway 14, 2,800 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:15 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 13 |
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 ANC90FA047.