De Havilland DHC-2 N444EF

Summary

On 26 July 2000 at about 22:15 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N444EF, operated by Katmai Lodge, was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 July 2000 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.7495, -156.5408

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2

Registration

N444EF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Katmai Lodge

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00LA098

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was departing a river in a float equipped airplane. Two branches of another river were flowing from the right, into the main channel used by the pilot for departure. A left crosswind was blowing between 10 to 20 knots. During the takeoff run toward the north, the pilot began to lower the nose of the airplane to get 'on-step.' He raised the water rudders and the airplane veered to the left. He said the left crosswind, and strong river current from the right produced the left turn. He then aborted the takeoff. The airplane did not get airborne, and collided with trees along the left bank of the river in an area of shallow water.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.