Amateur-built DHC-6-300 accident near Star, Idaho, May 1, 2001
On May 1, 2001 at about 4:30 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-6-300, registered N49SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Star, Idaho (Snake River Skydiving Airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fatigue failure of the nose wheel steering cable during the landing roll. Rough/uneven terrain was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2001 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Star, Idaho · Snake River Skydiving Airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6-300
- Registration
- N49SJ · registry record · serial 423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, the aircraft began to veer to the left. When aileron and rudder control were not effective to re-align the aircraft's direction of travel, the pilot transferred over to the nose wheel steering control. The pilot applied corrective input all the way to the right when he heard a "clink" sound. The aircraft exited the side of the runway and collided with the terrain. Post-accident inspection of the aircraft found that the nose wheel steering cable was broken. The cable was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for examination. The specialist reported that the end of many wires exhibited fractures on a flat plane that was perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, typical of a fatigue crack. About 90 percent of the flat areas extended through the fracture face. The metallurgist reported that approximately 50 percent of the wires from the cable contained fatigue cracking.
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 instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,800 hours in all; 2,128 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 12,800 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 4, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,004 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 30, 2000; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 3:33 pm
- Destination: Star ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 060, 4,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from BOI, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.