On 4 May 2019, a De Havilland DHC2 III operated by Fejes Guide Service Ltd. was involved in an aviation accident near McCarthy, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach path in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane landing short of the airstrip and bouncing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A tailwheel airplane struck terrain before the airstrip on approach, bounced, and nosed down after encountering wind shear and a dust cloud over the gravel strip.
Incident Overview
A pilot operating a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during an approach to a private gravel airstrip, a dust cloud obscured approximately three-quarters of the landing area. The approach end of the airstrip remained visible. While on approach, the airplane encountered wind shear, causing the main landing gear to impact terrain short of the airstrip. The airplane subsequently bounced and came to rest in a nosedown attitude.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's landing gear box. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Environmental Conditions
The pilot reported that around the time of the accident, the wind was variable from 060° to 120° at 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The landing was attempted to the east.
Contributing factors
Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation