Desert Air Transport, Inc.
Also recorded as: DESERT AIR, DESERT AIR TRANSPORT INC, DESERT AIR TRANSPORT, INC., Desert Air Transport Inc., Desert Air Transport, Inc.
Accident & enforcement record
Events that happened, regardless of the operator's own reporting. Each links to its public source.
NTSB accidents & incidents
Operated by Desert Air Transport Inc. (per NTSB report)
Not yet finalized — may be revised.Operated by DESERT AIR TRANSPORT, INC. (per NTSB report)
A fire within the right engine compartment of undetermined cause and the pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed above the aircraft's minimum control speed. A factor contributing to the accident was the dark night environmental conditions.
FAA enforcement actions
Sanction: $12,000 · case closed 2020-10-30
Maintenance disclosure history
Service Difficulty Reports are self-reported maintenance findings. The NUMBER of reports is not a measure of reliability — diligent operators file more, not fewer. These are shown for transparency, not as a negative signal. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.
Reports span 1997–2021. Most-reported systems: ATA 85 — 4; Fire protection (26) — 1; Engine (72) — 1. Most-common natures of condition, as filed: VIBRATION/BUFFET — 2; FALSE WARNING — 1; FLUID LOSS; VIBRATION/BUFFET; PARTIAL RPM/PWR LOSS — 1; OTHER — 1; OVER TEMP; WARNING INDICATION — 1.
6 reports on file.
Part: CYLINDER — CRACKED (ZONE 600) · airframe 50,153 hrs
ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON FLIGHT TO AKIAK - RIGHT ENGINE #6 CYLINDER CRACKED BETWEEN BARREL AND HEAD.
Part: FIRE WARNING — FALSE INDICATION (RIGHT ENGINE)
UPON CLIMB - PASSING THROUGH 8500 FEET. THE FIRE WARNING FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE FIRE WARNING ILLUMINATED AND THE FIRE BELL WAS GOING OFF. ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND FEATHER AND RETURNED TO BASE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN INDICATION ISSUE WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE BEING FOUND. AIRCRAFT IS STILL BEING INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE INDICATION.
Part: ENGINE — FAILED (RIGHT) · airframe 24,534 hrs
ENGINE HAD HIGH TEMPERATURE AND LOW OIL PRESSURE.
Part: CYLINDER — FAILED (ENGINE) · airframe 23,959 hrs
CYLINDER FAILURE AT ENGINE SHUTDOWN.
Part: CYLINDER — CRACKED (RT ENGINE) · airframe 48,680 hrs
NUMBER ONE CYLINDER FAILURE ON THE RIGHT ENGINE.
Part: INTAKE VALVE — FAILED (NR 5 CYLINDER)
INTAKE VALVE ON NR 5M CYLINDER CAME APART AND PUNCHED A HOLE IN FRONT TOP OF CYLINDER WALL AND HEAD.
Linked aircraft
| N-number | Make / model | Year | Status | Link basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N115U | DOUGLAS DC3C | 1944 | Valid Registration | Operator named in NTSB report |
| N272R | DOUGLAS DC3C | 1944 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
| N44587 | DOUGLAS DC3C | 1944 | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
| N59314 | DOUGLAS DC3C | — | Valid Registration | Matched by certificate designator |
| N75142 | — | — | Operator named in NTSB report |
Aircraft with earlier records under this certificate
Maintenance and accident records on this page also cover aircraft that are not in this operator's current FAA fleet list. Charter and management fleets change — owners switch management companies, sell, or export aircraft. Where the registry shows what became of a tail, it is noted below.
1 aircraft filed records under this certificate within the last two years but are not in the fleet list we hold — fleet lists can lag actual operations.
- N75142 — records 1996 · no longer on the FAA registry