De Havilland DHC6 N656WA

Summary

On 18 June 2008 at about 14:01 local time, a De Havilland DHC6 registered N656WA, operated by Wiggins Airways Inc, was involved in an accident near Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 2008 at 14:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Barnstable Municipal Airport (HYA)

Coordinates

41.6719, -70.2706

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC6

Registration

N656WA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Wiggins Airways Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hyannis → Nantucket

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08FA218

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to remove the flight control lock prior to takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to issue an airworthiness directive making the manufacturer's previously-issued flight control lock service bulletins mandatory.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested clearance to taxi for departure approximately an hour after the scheduled departure time. About 4 minutes later, the flight was cleared for takeoff. A witness observed the airplane as it taxied, and found it strange that the airplane did not stop and "rev up" its engines before takeoff. Instead, the airplane taxied onto the runway and proceeded with the takeoff without stopping. The airplane took off quickly, within 100 yards of beginning the takeoff roll, became airborne, and entered a steep left bank. The bank steepened, and the airplane descended and impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the pilot's four-point restraint was not fastened and that at least a portion of the cockpit flight control lock remained installed on the control column. One of the pretakeoff checklist items was, "Flight controls - Unlocked - Full travel." The airplane was not equipped with a control lock design, which, according to the airframe manufacturer's previously issued service bulletins, would "minimize the possibility of the aircraft becoming airborne when take off is attempted with flight control locks inadvertently installed." In 1990, Transport Canada issued an airworthiness directive to ensure mandatory compliance with the service bulletins; however, the Federal Aviation Administration did not follow with a similar airworthiness directive until after the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.