De Havilland DHC-2 N490K

Summary

On 5 October 2009 at about 19:15 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N490K, operated by Katmai Air Leasing LLC, was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, United States. 4 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

5 October 2009 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.9589, -155.1028

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2

Registration

N490K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Katmai Air Leasing LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

King Salmon → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10CA001

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, and his decision to takeoff with a tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was departing to the east with a 5 knot tailwind, in a float-equipped airplane, on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 other work use flight. He said that the purpose of the flight was to demobilize a remote fishing lodge at the end of the season. The pilot reported that during the takeoff run he realized that the airplane would not become airborne before reaching the departure end of the lake, and he closed the engine throttle in an attempt to abort the takeoff. The airplane’s floats struck the shoreline, and the airplane came to rest on the shore, about 75 yards from the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and in his written report to the NTSB, he attributed the accident to “pilot error.”

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.