Amateur-built DHC-2 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, July 5, 1997
On July 5, 1997 at about 5:30 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-2, registered N5164G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the no.1 exhaust push rod. Factors contributing to the accident were: insufficient information on pushrod inspection and overhaul from the manufacturer, unsuitable terrain available for landing, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the approach which led to an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1997 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-2
- Registration
- N5164G · no longer on the register · serial 506
- 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 pilot boarded the 4 passengers and cargo (unsecured) for a chartered flight to a fishing lodge. The floatplane departed uneventfully. About 45 min. later, while cruising about 1,700 ft. above rugged terrain and a river, the engine began to lose power and the floatplane descended. The pilot attempted a forced landing in a small lake that was 1,200 ft. in length and located about 1 mile west of the river. During the approach to landing, the airplane stalled and impacted swampy terrain at the lake's edge in a steep nose down attitude. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the no.1 engine exhaust pushrod had failed in fatigue just below the top (valve) ball end. Examination of the pushrod revealed that material had been pushed away from the rod during installation of the ball end. The fatigue crack may have initiated from a score mark produced by the installation. Pushrod life is reduced due to surface scratches. The life of the failed pushrod could not be determined. Insufficient information exists in the overhaul manual regarding pushrod life/inspection.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,350 hours in all; 2,200 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,864 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 1997; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,090 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN14-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Hood AK at 11:40 am
- Destination: Chelatna Lake AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 155° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Observation at 11:53 am from SKW, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 1 |
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 N5164G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.