Probable cause
A failure of the right brake caliper bolts during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with terrain.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that during the landing roll on a gravel-covered airstrip, the airplane veered left, went through an embankment, and came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right brake caliper bolts failed in overload. The lower bolt was broken in half, the upper bolt was not located, and the brake caliper was located in brush. Given that the airplane is routinely operated from rough, uneven, gravel-covered, off airport sites, it is likely that the brake caliper and bolts sustained impact damage, resulting in the failure of the attachment hardware.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC23LA052 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jul 12, 2023
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Dehavilland DHC-2
- N-number
- N814DW
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1949
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 135 (charter and commuter)
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.