Dehavilland DHC-2 MK.I accident near Oak Island, Minnesota, May 22, 2021
On May 22, 2021 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1949 Dehavilland DHC-2 MK.I, registered N218RD, suffered minor damage in an accident during landing near Oak Island, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of an O-ring in the landing gear system, which resulted in the inadvertent extension of the main wheel in the amphibious float. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to depart with a known hydraulic leak in the landing gear system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2021 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oak Island, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC-2 MK.I, built 1949 · all DHC-2 MK.Is on the register
- Registration
- N218RD · registry record · serial 50
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before the flight, the pilot added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir due to a known leak in the airplane’s amphibious float landing gear system. At some point during the flight, the left rear wheel extended and protruded from the float. The pilot was unaware of the wheel position and landed on the water near his residence. During the water landing, the wheel contacted the water, and the airplane’s nose and propeller assembly immediately went into the water. The pilot and passengers exited the airplane, and the airplane subsequently flipped over. During the accident sequence, one passenger sustained vertebrae fractures, and the airplane sustained minor damage. Due to the remote accident location, the airplane was not examined; however, the pilot provided photos of the landing gear system problem area and a short video demonstrating the leak in the system. According to the pilot, the leak was the result of a failed O-ring in the lower hydraulic fitting on the jack assembly.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RRT Warroad MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 22, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Request for Pilot/operator Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Excerpt of Sheriff Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File of Hydraulic Leak (Provided by Pilot/owner) | MOV file | Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.