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ANC23LA030

2023-04-22 · Soldotna, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SXQ

Current FAA registration · N454FU

Make / Model
DEHAVILLAND BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1
Year of manufacture
1957 · 66 years old at event
Engine
P&W R-985 SERIES (450 hp)
Seats / Engines
8 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19970530
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A58188

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing site, which resulted in the main landing gear wheels breaking through the snow and the airplane nosing over.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, to avoid excessive wear on the airplane’s Bushwheels, he decided to not land on the paved runway and instead he landed on the snow-covered gravel runway. During landing, the airplane decelerated rapidly as the main wheels touched down into the snow. The airplane subsequently nosed over sustaining substantial damage to the right-wing lift struts and rudder. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Snow/slush/ice covered surface-Contributed to outcome
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-(general)-Capability exceeded

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ANC23LA030.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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