# NTSB ANC02LA079: de Havilland DHC-6, N885EA, Toksook Bay, AK, July 13, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 13, 2002, 10:26 local (18:26 UTC) - Place: Toksook Bay, AK - Coordinates: 60.533332, -165.113891 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.5333&lon=-165.1139&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 13 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 29, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA Anchorage FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 55248 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC02LA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55248/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55248 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA079 ## Probable cause A bird strike during takeoff, which resulted in damage to the right wing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, takeoff - initial climb - object - bird(s) (cause) ## Analysis The scheduled air carrier flight had just lifted off the runway and started to climb, when it encountered a flock of birds. One or more of the birds struck the right wing of the airplane. The airplane continued to its destination, and landed without incident. About 6 feet of the right wing's leading edge, and 2 wing ribs were replaced due to the bird strike. ## Factual narrative On July 13, 2002, about 1026 Alaska daylight time, a de Havilland DHC-6 airplane, N885EA, sustained substantial damage when it struck a bird during takeoff from Toksook Bay Airport, Toksook, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by ERA Aviation Inc., of Anchorage, Alaska, as Flight 4862, a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 121, at the time of the accident. The two crewmembers and the eleven passengers were not injured. The airplane was departing Toksook Bay en route to Bethel, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 16, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air safety inspector said he had issued a ferry permit for the accident airplane to return to the ERA maintenance facility in Anchorage. He said he inspected the damage to the accident airplane, and noted the repairs required the replacement of two ribs, and six feet of the leading edge of the right wing. During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 23, the director of operations for the operator said the pilot told him that during the initial climb, about 20 feet above the runway, the airplane encountered a flock of seagulls. The pilot told him that one of the seagulls struck the leading edge of the airplane's right wing. He said the airplane continued to its destination without further incident. The director of operations said he was only aware of one rib, and about six feet of the leading edge, being replaced as a result of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N885EA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N885EA-2007-02-16), registration cancelled 2007-02-16, S/N 454, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: de Havilland DHC-6 - Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-twin-otter) (registry code 2802606) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (registry code 52032, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 454 - Airframe hours: 20261 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6-27 680 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Era Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 27, 2002, 144 hours before - Departed: OOK, Toksook Bay, AK - Destination: BET, Bethel, AK - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: OOK, Toksook Bay, runway 15, 1,800 × 55 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 18, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 3,584 total, 2,420 in this make and model, 1,785 as pilot in command, 251 in the last 90 days, 98 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 29; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review December 30, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 2,200 total, 1,650 in this make and model, 450 as pilot in command, 180 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 13 knots - Visibility: 2.5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,300 ft broken - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.56 inHg - Observed at: PAMY ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020713026049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020713026049A), Jul 13, 2002: Dhav DHC6, Toksook Bay, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) After take off from took sook bay, runway 15, aircraft encountered bird strike to right wing. Aircraft continued to intended destination bethel, AK.… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55248. 717 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 589 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462945&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Bird Strike Report (item 2, .PDF, 128 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40176117&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Bird%20Strike%20Report-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.