De Havilland DHC-2 N930TG

Summary

On 25 June 2003 at about 23:30 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N930TG was involved in an accident near Iliamna, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

25 June 2003 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.7564, -154.9017

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2

Registration

N930TG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Iliamna → Iliamna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03CA088

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's incorrect selection of the fuel selector valve position during takeoff which resulted in fuel starvation. A factor associated with the accident was inadequate transition training provided to the pilot by the company/operator management.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo commercial certificated pilot was departing from a remote lake in a float-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that this was the first time he had been assigned to fly the accident airplane, and that the airplane's main fuel valve was different than that of any other DHC-2 he had previously flown. Prior to takeoff, he placed the fuel selector valve in the "up" position, believing he had selected the center fuel tank. Just after takeoff, as the airplane climbed to about 30 feet above the water, the engine lost all power, and the airplane descended and struck a gravel-covered road at the departure end of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot noted that a postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that when he placed the fuel valve in the "up" position, he inadvertently selected the "off" position. The pilot added that the operator did not inform him of the differences associated with the accident airplane's fuel valve.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.