De Havilland DHC-2 N64276

Summary

On 13 October 1996 at about 22:55 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N64276 was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 October 1996 at 22:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

55.6099, -131.5803

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2

Registration

N64276

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Rowena Lake

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC97FA001

3 people died.

continued flight by the pilot into adverse weather condition, and his failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were the high/mountainous terrain, and weather conditions that included low ceilings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and two passengers departed for a remote area on an on-demand charter flight in a float-equipped airplane. An emergency locator transmitter signal was heard in the area of the intended destination about 55 minutes after departure. The flight was reported overdue and search personnel located the wreckage at an elevation of about 2,850 feet in mountainous terrain about 2 and 1/2 hours after departure. The airplane collided with terrain below the top of a steep ridge. Search personnel reported the weather conditions in the area included low ceilings. The conditions deteriorated during subsequent rescue operations. The area forecast included an AIRMET for marginal VFR conditions with mountain obscuration due to clouds and precipitation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.