De Havilland DHC-2 MK 1 N68080

Summary

On 19 July 2021 at about 19:45 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 MK 1 registered N68080, operated by Branch River Air Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, United States. 2 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

19 July 2021 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.8222, -155.5738

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-2 MK 1

Registration

N68080

Category

Airplane

Year built

1954

Engines

1

Operator

Branch River Air Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lower American Creek → Hammersly Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA062

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s exceedance of the floatplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while in a climb, approaching a mountain pass, he “felt” that the floatplane was not climbing sufficiently to safely clear the terrain. He extended the flaps and initiated a turn to the right, and “feeling a stall and loss of control imminent”, he applied full power. Subsequently, the floatplane stalled and impacted the ground sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the floatplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.