Dehavilland DHC-3 — registry & accident history
Compiled from FAA & NTSB records · as of Jul 25, 2026
There are 151 Dehavilland DHC-3 airframes on record (built 1953–1972), 65 currently registered. 16 have one or more NTSB accident records (16 records total, 7 with a fatal highest-injury classification). Data as of Jul 25, 2026.
Recent Dehavilland DHC-3 accidents
The in-flight unthreading of the clamp nut from the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator barrel due to a missing lock ring, which resulted in the horizontal stabilizer moving to an extreme trailing-edge-down position rendering the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a ditch.
The pilot’s failure to determine the actual weight and balance of the airplane before departure, which resulted in the airplane being operated outside of the aft center of gravity limits and the subsequent aerodynamic stall on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to require weight and balance documentation for 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 single-engine operations.
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach path in flat light conditions, which resulted in landing short of the runway and impact with terrain.
The seizure of the engine during flight for undetermined reasons, which led to a total loss of engine power.
The inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, which prevented the two pilots from seeing the other airplane before the collision, and the absence of visual and aural alerts from both airplanes’ traffic display systems, while operating in a geographic area with a high concentration of air tour activity. Contributing to the accident were (1) the Federal Aviation Administration’s provision of new transceivers that lacked alerting capability to Capstone Program operators without adequately mitigating the increased risk associated with the consequent loss of the previously available alerting capability and (2) the absence of a requirement for airborne traffic advisory systems with aural alerting among operators who carry passengers for hire.
The pilot's decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.