Ownership guide
de Havilland DHC-2
367 registered in the US, built from about 1949 to 1968, 8 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney R. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 367
- Built
- 1949 to 1968
- Half built by
- 1956
- Seats
- 8
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney R
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney R301 aircraft (82%) · 13 ADs, 2 with a repeat action
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A10 aircraft (3%) · 24 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
31 current ADs name the DHC-2 airframe, 8 with a repeat action; 6 more were superseded. Its engines carry 37 more. 5 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2022-17-05Requires either doing recurring visual inspections, borescope inspections, and non-destructive inspections (NDIs) of the struts and airframe lugs with corrective action as necessary or replacing the struts every 15...Fuselage structure · AirplaneSupersedes 2002-14-28Repeat actionAug 26, 2022
- 2020-16-15FuselageAirplaneRepeat actionAug 17, 2020
- 2016-25-22Flight controlsAirplaneSupersedes 2016-19-08Repeat actionDec 22, 2016
- 2008-12-12Engine ignitionAirplaneSupersedes 2004-21-06Repeat actionJun 18, 2008
- 2008-11-11StabilizersAirplaneSupersedes 92-24-02Repeat actionJun 18, 2008
- 2007-12-13WingsAirplaneSupersedes 88-08-02Repeat actionJun 11, 2007
- 2002-13-08Modify the elevator tip rib on each elevator; repetitively inspect underneath the mass balance weights at each elevator tip rib for corrosion; and either remove the corrosion or replace a corroded elevator tip rib...de Havilland Inc. Models DHC-2 Mk. I, DHC-2 Mk. II, and DHC-2 Mk. III Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 1, 2002
- 99-15-07Requires repetitively inspecting the rear fuselage bulkhead at Station 228 for cracksdeHavilland Inc. Models DHC-2 Mk. I, DHC-2 Mk. II, and DHC-2 Mk. III Airplanes · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 21, 1999
Accident record
91 accidents since 2008, 16 fatal (56 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 4 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control on ground23
- Collision during takeoff/land10
- Midair collision5
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)4
- Loss of control in flight4
- Miscellaneous/other4
Phase of flight
- Landing30
- Takeoff29
- Enroute13
- Initial climb7
- Maneuvering6
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-07 | Igiugig, AK | Takeoff: Loss of control on ground | None | ANC26LA086 |
| 2026-07-19 | Nondalton, AK | Landing: Loss of control on ground | None | ANC26LA072 |
| 2025-09-13 | St theresa | Approach: Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) | Fatal | GAA25WA280 |
| 2025-08-09 | Soldotna, AK | Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event | None | ANC25LA085 |
| 2025-07-19 | Lac du poisson blanc | Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total) | None | ENG25WA047 |
| 2025-07-11 | Nelson lagoon, AK | Landing: Collision during takeoff/land | None | ANC25LA074 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (8 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- 5 equipment ADs name the DHC-2 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
The rest of the DHC-2 family
Questions
- How many de Havilland DHC-2s are registered in the US?
- 367, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the de Havilland DHC-2 built?
- From about 1949 to 1968. Half of those registered today were built by 1956.
- What engine does the de Havilland DHC-2 have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney R (82% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PT6A.
- How many accidents has the de Havilland DHC-2 had?
- 91 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 16 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control on ground. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the de Havilland DHC-2 have?
- 31 current ADs name the DHC-2 airframe, 8 of them with a repeat action, and 37 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.