Dehavilland DHC 2 accident near Petersville, Alaska, May 28, 2017
On May 28, 2017 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1956 Dehavilland DHC 2, registered N561TA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Petersville, Alaska (Great Gorge Of Ruth Glacier airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 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’s selection of unsuitable terrain for taxiing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2017 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Petersville, Alaska · Great Gorge Of Ruth Glacier · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC 2 MK 1, built 1956 · all DHC 2s on the register
- Registration
- N561TA · registry record · serial 581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the ski-equipped airplane reported that, as the tailwheel touched down on the glacier, the snow was deeper and softer than he had expected. He added that, during the uphill landing, he chose not to stop the airplane and risk getting stuck. Instead, he completed a turn at the top of the landing area but was unable to straighten the direction of travel enough for a takeoff. Subsequently, to straighten the airplane before the takeoff, he completed a left 360° turn. During the downhill takeoff, the airplane had poor acceleration and insufficient airspeed to fly, so he aborted the takeoff. As he reduced the engine power, the airplane slowed to what he felt to be a reasonable speed, and he initiated a left turn to taxi back to the top. Subsequently, the right ski dug into the snow, and the airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,707 hours in all; 218 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,655 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,049 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 17, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R 985-AN-14B (piston); 10,608 hours total
- Operator: Talkeetna Air Taxi INC
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Destination: N/A Petersville AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PAEC, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Other NTSB records under N561TA 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 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 GAA17CA294.