On July 5, 1983, a DE Havilland DHC-2 (registration N67682) operated by International Air Transport was involved in an aviation accident near Iliamna, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with a berm, leading to the collapse of the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft landed short of the runway, striking a berm on approach. The pilot reported encountering a downdraft that prevented recovery despite power application, resulting in gear collapse and a belly slide.
What happened
The aircraft touched down short of the runway threshold. According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a significant downdraft while on the short final approach segment. Despite the application of power to arrest the descent, the aircraft was unable to clear the terrain at the approach end of the runway.
The airplane struck a 15-inch berm located at the approach end. The impact caused the main landing gear and tail gear to shear off. Following the collapse of the landing gear structure, the aircraft slid along the ground on its belly before coming to a stop.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed during the final approach, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with a berm, leading to the collapse of the landing gear.