De Havilland DHC-2 N64393
19 August 2002 · Ketchikan, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 19 August 2002 at about 15:45 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N64393 was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, United States. 16 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 55.3500, -131.6667
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-2
- Registration
- N64393
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ketchikan → Ketchikan
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC02LA098
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot of the other airplane to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision between the two airplanes.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Two airplanes operated by the same company, a float-equipped deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver, and a float-equipped deHavilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter, collided in midair as they were en route to the same remote destination. The Beaver sustained minor damage to the floats, and the Turbine Otter sustained substantial damage to the top portion of the wings, the fuselage, and vertical stabilizer. The collision occurred over an area of coastal channels and fjords. The pilot of the Beaver stated that his airplane was the first of three company airplanes to depart. Once airborne, and clear of the class E airspace, he changed radio frequencies to monitor a common traffic advisory frequency. He said that about 15 minutes after departure, while in level cruise flight, about 2,000 feet above the water, he felt a sudden thump, followed by a pronounced airframe shudder. He then observed the top of the left wing of the Turbine Otter to his left side, just under the floats of his airplane. He said that just after the two airplanes collided, the Turbine Otter made a left, descending turn, away from his airplane. He said that after determining that he still had full flight control, he elected to return to the operator's base of operation. The pilot of theTurbine Otter said that his airplane was the second of three airplanes. He said that he departed about 5 minutes after the Beaver, and proceeded on a northerly heading, while climbing the airplane to about 2,200 feet. He said that he changed radio frequencies to monitor a common traffic advisory frequency. He said that about 10 minutes after departure, he heard one of the passengers seated in the rear of the airplane yell "airplane." About two seconds later, the pilot heard a loud scrape on the top portion of the airplane. The pilot said that just after the impact, he experienced some difficulty in controlling the airplane, but was soon able to regain partial control, and subsequently made an emergency landing in the ocean waters in the channel. The pilot of theTurbine Otter reported that his airplane was about 10 knots faster than the Beaver.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Havilland DHC-2 | N64393 | - | Minor |
| De Havilland DHC-3 | N409PA | PROMECH, Inc. | Substantial |
Other De Havilland DHC-2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Bethel, Alaska, United States | Ptarmigan Air | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | Minta Inc | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | Alaska Coastal Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | Doug Geeting Avaition | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Nikiski, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 MK3 | Aleknagik, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2002 | Piper PA-18 | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | Uriah Strong | No injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2002 | Williamson GLASTAR | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 2002 | Cessna 180 | Tenakee Springs, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2002 | McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Alaska Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 2002 | Cessna 206 | Karluk, Alaska, United States | Alaska West Air, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 2002 | Piper PA-32 | Haines, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |