20260411004119A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-3 · Key West, FL · April 11, 2026

Date
April 11, 2026 · 08:45 local
Place
Key West, FL
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
Q51A
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N708KA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA26LA172
Reported as
Dehavilland DHC-3
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,354 total43 in this make and model43 in the last 90 days

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.

Seaplane failed to takeoff at dry tortugas national park. The right float submerged during take off attempt and aircraft rolled right nose down into the water.

As the FAA filed it

SEAPLANE FAILED TO TAKEOFF AT DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK. THE RIGHT FLOAT SUBMERGED DURING TAKE OFF ATTEMPT AND AIRCRAFT ROLLED RIGHT NOSE DOWN INTO THE WATER.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N708KA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.