Douglas DC-6-B accident near Beluga, Alaska, April 1, 1996
On April 1, 1996 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Douglas DC-6-B, registered N861TA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beluga, Alaska (Beluga airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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-in-Command's selection of an unsuitable terrain area for taxi/parking and his misjudgment of the clearance required.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1996 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Beluga, Alaska · Beluga · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-6-B · all DC-6-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N861TA · registry record · serial 43522
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing the Captain was taxiing the airplane to the parking area to off load his cargo of fuel. While the Captain was maneuvering the airplane in the parking area the left wingtip struck a vertical steel building support. The Captain attempted to back up the airplane through the use of reverse thrust. While backing up, the left elevator, stabilizer, and vertical fin struck a steel fuel tank being stored near the parking area. The Captain stated that the parking area is tight for a DC-6 airplane.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all; 15,000 in this make and model; 134 in the last 90 days; 77 in the last 30 days; 23,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 45,384 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 1, 1996; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 103,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-2800-CB16 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK at 2:20 pm
- Destination: BLG AK
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N861TA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC96LA042.