- Date
- September 24, 2004, 20:00 local (Sep 25, 2004, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1018Dde Havilland DHC-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040924024079A
- Case key
- 60213
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area, which resulted in an on-ground collision with trees during the landing roll. A factor associated with the accident were trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated commercial pilot was landing at a remote river slough. After touchdown the left wing collided with a stand of trees. The airplane pivoted to the left, and the airplane's floats subsequently collided with the river bank. The airplane sustained structural damage to both wings and fuselage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 2004, about 2000 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped de Havilland DHC-2 airplane, N1018D, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during landing at an off airport site located about 35 miles northeast of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Susitna Air Service, Inc., of Willow. The certificated commercial pilot and the two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Kashwitna Lake Seaplane Base, Willow, about 1940.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on September 25, the pilot said he was landing at a remote river slough, adjacent to the Kashwitna River. He said that after touchdown the left wing collided with a stand of trees. The airplane pivoted to the left, and the airplane's floats subsequently collided with the river bank. The airplane sustained structural damage to both wings and fuselage.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane .
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1018D
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 293
- Airframe hours
- 14,309.5
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Susitna Air Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Paul & Susan Englund
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 8, 2004 · 42.1 hours before
- Departed
- AK34 · Willow, AK
- Destination
- Willow, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 7, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 337 in the last 90 days · 107 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.