On March 15, 1981, a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter (registration CF-DHT) operated by Bradley Air Services was involved in an aviation accident near North Ice Camp, Greenland during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft's landing gear broke through the ice surface during touchdown. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A University of Washington research aircraft sustained damage after a landing gear failure during an expedition near North Ice Camp.
What happened
During a scientific mission conducted for the University of Washington, an aircraft was performing a landing approximately 35 miles east of North Ice Camp. During the touchdown sequence, one of the landing gear wheels penetrated the surface of the ice.
Following the structural failure of the ice beneath the wheel, the aircraft came to a complete stop. The crew subsequently evacuated the plane, and the vessel was abandoned at the site. There were no injuries reported among the occupants following the incident.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was the failure of the ice surface to support the weight of the landing gear during the arrival phase.
Probable cause
The aircraft's landing gear broke through the ice surface during touchdown.
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