No fatalities

Glacier Departure Ski Strike Incident

Talkeetna, AK, United States

On June 27, 2011, a DEHAVILLAND DHC-2 MK 1 operated by TALKEETNA AIR TAXI INC was involved in an aviation accident near Talkeetna, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A ski-equipped aircraft sustained substantial tailwheel and fuselage damage after its skis struck a bump on a snow-covered glacier during takeoff. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical issues.

Incident Overview and Damage Assessment During a departure from a snow-covered glacier, an aircraft equipped with tailwheel and wheel penetration skis experienced a ground contact event. The pilot reported that the main and tail skis struck a bump at the moment the airplane became airborne. A postflight inspection identified substantial damage to the tailwheel bulkhead and the fuselage. The pilot indicated that there were no pre-accident mechanical problems with the aircraft. The source does not specify the aircraft type, registration, operator, date, or location. No probable cause is stated in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome