Talkeetna, AK, USA
N62197
de Havilland DHC-2
The certificated commercial pilot reported that after an uneventful glacier landing, he wanted to reposition the airplane to an area that was better suited for unloading his passengers. As he taxied the airplane up the glacier, the airplane's tailwheel entered a hole in the hard-packed snow, and the left elevator horn dug into the snow. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
On June 13, 2002, about 1100 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 airplane, N62197, sustained substantial damage when it encountered rough terrain while taxiing after landing at an off-airport site. The accident site was on the Tokositna Glacier, 30 miles northwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand charter flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to Gattis Aircraft, Inc., and operated by Doug Geeting Aviation, Talkeetna. The certificated commercial pilot, and the six passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, about 1015. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on June 15, the pilot reported that after an uneventful glacier landing, he wanted to reposition the airplane to an area that was better suited for unloading his passengers. He said that as he taxied the airplane up the glacier, the airplane's tailwheel entered a hole in the hard-packed snow, and the left elevator horn dug into the snow. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable taxi area, which resulted in substantial damage to the left elevator when the tailwheel encountered a hole. A factor associated with the accident was rough/uneven terrain.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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