Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.3 accident near Jefferson, Oregon, June 17, 2011
On June 17, 2011 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.3, registered N260HC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Jefferson, Oregon (Ames Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 failure to maintain airplane control while on short final after experiencing a downdraft, which resulted in a subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2011 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Jefferson, Oregon · Ames Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland BEAVER DHC-2 MK.3 · all BEAVER DHC-2 MK.3s on the register
- Registration
- N260HC · no longer on the register · serial 1665-TB37
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while on short final for landing at an airstrip located atop a plateau, the airplane experienced a thermal lift then a downdraft, which caused the airplane to descend. The pilot added power; however, insufficient altitude existed to arrest the sink rate, and the airplane subsequently landed hard. One of the wings and the pontoon/landing gear sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the airplane or engine 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,132 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,032 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,657 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 10, 2010; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,370 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W Canada PT6A-34 (turboprop); 7,091 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SLE Salem OR
- Destination: 21OG Jefferson OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 1,800 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from SLE, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 WPR11LA276.