20060601008409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Dhav DHC-3 · Port Townsend, WA · June 1, 2006

Date: June 1, 2006 · 08:30 local
Place: Port Townsend, WA
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: GJRA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N606KA
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA06LA112
Reported as: Dhav DHC3
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A135
People aboard: 11
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 24,000 total5,000 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N606KARegistered now · Dehavilland DHC-3S/N 37 · Built 1954 Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-3 Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While enroute from seattle, (lake union), (W55) to victoria Canada, (ywh), kenmore air flight 310 made an unscheduled landing near Port Townsend, WA due to deteriorating weather conditions. The PIC decided to turn the aircraft around to avoid a fog bank. While making a left turn at low altitude the aircraft experienced a hard landing on the water causing substantial damage to the fuselage and sea fin. The PIC beached the aircraft where the passengers were disembarked. No injuries to the pilot or passengers was reported.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ENROUTE FROM SEATTLE, (LAKE UNION), (W55) TO VICTORIA CANADA, (YWH), KENMORE AIR FLIGHT 310 MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LANDING NEAR PORT TOWNSEND, WA DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE PIC DECIDED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT AROUND TO AVOID A FOG BANK. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT LOW ALTITUDE THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING ON THE WATER CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND SEA FIN. THE PIC BEACHED THE AIRCRAFT WHERE THE PASSENGERS WERE DISEMBARKED. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGERS WAS REPORTED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA06LA112Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPort Townsend, WAThe pilot's misjudgment of the airplane's height above the water during a precautionary landing which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were glassy water conditions, fog, and the pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into IMC.Jun 1, 2006 · Substantial damage