De Havilland DHC-6-300 N353PM
20 June 2002 · Ketchikan, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 June 2002 at about 01:00 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6-300 registered N353PM, operated by Promech Inc., was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, United States. 31 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.
The record
- Date
- at 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ketchikan, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Ketchikan Water Front (WFB)
- Coordinates
- 55.3500, -131.6767
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-6-300
- Registration
- N353PM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Promech Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ketchikan → Ketchikan
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC02LA053
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
Probable cause
The failure of a ground handler to follow company procedures/directives, and his premature release of a mooring line. Factors associated with the accident were the congested operations area, and the operator's failure to provide adequate safe zones for the airplanes.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A float-equipped deHavilland DHC-6, N235SA, was moored at a dock. The passengers were boarded, and the two pilots were finishing preflight duties. The airplane's engines were not running. Moored at the same dock, about four feet behind N235SA, was another float-equipped deHavilland DHC-6, N353PM. Both airplanes were being operated as sightseeing flights. The pilots of N353PM had completed their pretaxi checks, and the engines were running. The pilot in command of N353PM signaled the dockhand to disconnect the shore power. The dockhand disconnected the shore power, and without direction to do so, let go the mooring ropes. N353PM, under idle power, surged forward into the tail of N235SA. Both airplanes received substantial damage. Company procedures at the time of the accident directed the dockhand to wait for a signal from the pilot before letting go the mooring ropes. Post-accident the operation has been moved to a longer dock, to provide greater distance between airplanes. The procedure has been changed, and the first officer is now responsible for releasing the mooring ropes at the direction of the pilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Havilland DHC-6-300 | N353PM | Promech Inc. | Substantial |
| De Havilland DHC-6-300 | N235SA | Promech Inc. | Substantial |
Other De Havilland DHC-6 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 2002 | De Havilland DHC-6 | Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 2001 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | Saint Barthelem, Guadeloupe | Caraibes Air Transport | Fatal | 19 |
| 1 May 2001 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | Star, Idaho, United States | Bureau of Land Management | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 2003 | De Havilland DHC-6-200 | Kipnuk, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 2001 | De Havilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER | Ottawa, Illinois, United States | Eagle Air Transport Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 May 2001 | De Havilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER | Fentress, Texas, United States | Phillip Chappell | Fatal | - |
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 | - |
| 20 Sep 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Bethel, Alaska, United States | Ptarmigan Air | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2002 | McDonnell Douglas MD-82 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Alaska Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | Minta Inc | Fatal | 4 |