Douglas DC-6B accident near Selawik, Alaska, March 3, 1992
On March 3, 1992 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Douglas DC-6B, registered N151, was substantially damaged in an accident near Selawik, Alaska (Selawik airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PRE FLIGHT PLANNING AND DISREGARDING THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE DATA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE EXTREME OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURES, THE ICY RUNWAY, AND THE TAILWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1992 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Selawik, Alaska · Selawik · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-6B · all DC-6Bs on the register
- Registration
- N151 · registry record · serial 45174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HEAVILY LOADED FUEL TANKER LANDED WITH AN APPROXIMATE 3 KNOT TAILWIND, OVER RAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND CAME TO A STOP ON A FROZEN RIVER. THE LAST TWO THIRDS OF THE 3,150 FT LONG GRAVEL RUNWAY WAS COVERED WITH ICE. THE CREW STATED THAT THE PROPELLERS EITHER FAILED TO GO INTO REVERSE, OR WERE SLOW IN REVERSING, TO ASSIST IN STOPPING. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ALL PROPELLER BLADES WERE IN THE REVERSED POSITION. OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS MINUS 30 TO MINUS 35 DEGREES F. THE AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE CHART USED TO CALCULATE THE LANDING DISTANCE WAS FOR 'CONCRETE RUNWAYS'. STOPPING DISTANCE WAS NOT PREDICATED ON THE USE OF REVERSE PROPELLER THRUST. POST ACCIDENT CALCULATIONS, USING THE SAME CHART, FOUND THE ESTIMATED LANDING DISTANCE NEEDED FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT TO BE 100 TO 200 FT MORE THAN THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,800 hours in all; 5,600 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,430 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,232 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 11, 1992; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 103,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R2800 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 9:00 pm
- Runway 27, 3,150 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -35°F (-37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 ANC92LA043.