# NTSB ANC09LA022: Dehavilland DHC-2 / U-6A, N5342G, Kenai, AK, February 20, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: February 20, 2009, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place: Kenai, AK
- Coordinates: 60.566665, -151.233337 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.5667&lon=-151.2333&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report March 23, 2010
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 73387
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC09LA022
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/73387/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73387
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC09LA022

## Probable cause

The flight instructor’s decision to attempt a touch-and-go landing toward rising terrain and with a tailwind, resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain during takeoff.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=2800105), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md)
- [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01060000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded; cases with it: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01060000/cases.md?model=2800105), [All aircraft, 63 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01060000/cases.md)
- [Terrain: sloped/uneven terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Decision related to condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017/cases.md?model=2800105), [All aircraft, 270 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017/cases.md)
- [Wind: tailwind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Decision related to condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md?model=2800105), [All aircraft, 594 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490) (defining event); cases with it: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md?model=2800105), [All aircraft, 1,309 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The certificated flight instructor was familiarizing the second pilot with ski operations in a ski-equipped airplane during an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that he took the flight controls from the second pilot to demonstrate a touch-and-go landing on a frozen, snow-covered lake. After landing to the east, the instructor said that he kept the tail of the airplane up and the airspeed just below flying speed in order to make ski tracks on the lake to check the snow conditions. About midway along the lake the instructor added full engine power and the airplane became airborne but failed to climb sufficiently to avoid colliding with an area of rising, tree-covered terrain at the departure end of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. Postaccident examination revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies. The instructor noted that after the accident he noticed occasional strong gusts of wind from the west.

## Factual narrative

On February 20, 2009, about 1515 Alaska standard time, a wheel/ski-equipped de Havilland DHC-2/U-6A (Beaver) airplane, N5342G, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from a remote frozen lake, about 10 miles northeast of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area proficiency/instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the Civil Air Patrol Inc. (CAP), Anchorage, Alaska. The three people aboard, the first pilot, a certificated flight instructor in the right seat, the second pilot in the left seat, and a pilot-rated passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and CAP flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Kenai Municipal Airport, Kenai, about 1415. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 20, the flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the second pilot with ski operations of a de Havilland DHC-2 airplane. He said that after the second pilot completed a series of touch-and-go landings to the west on the frozen snow-covered lake, he took the flight controls to demonstrate the next touch-and-go landing to the east. The flight instructor reported that after landing to the east, he kept the tail of the airplane up and the airspeed just below flying speed in order to make ski tracks on the lake to check the snow conditions. He said that as the airplane passed the midpoint of the lake, he applied full engine power for takeoff and the airplane became airborne, but it failed to climb sufficiently to avoid colliding with an area of rising, tree-covered terrain at the departure end of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. In the pilot’s written statement to the NTSB, he characterized wind conditions as calm while on an easterly approach, but he reported an occasional strong gust of wind out of the west following the accident. The closest weather reporting facility is the Kenai Municipal Airport, 10 miles southwest of the accident site. At 1453, an automated weather observation system was reporting, in part: Wind, 190 degrees (true) at 3 knots, visibility, 10 statute miles; clear; temperature, 30 degrees F; dew point, 21 degrees F; altimeter, 30.51 inHg. On March 2, 2009, following recovery of the airplane’s wreckage to Anchorage, a wreckage examination was done under the direction of the NTSB IIC. Also present were three members of the CAP’s safety assessment team, and two aviation safety inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Anchorage Flight Standards District Office. No preaccident mechanical anomalies were discovered during the wreckage exam.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5342G](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5342G-2018-02-07), registration cancelled 2018-02-07, S/N 854, built 1954 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-2 / U-6A
- Registry model: [Dehavilland BEAVER U-6A](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-beaver-u-6a) (registry code 2800105) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 854
- Airframe hours: 9483
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney R-985 450 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol - Alaska Wing
- Registered owner: Civil Air Patrol Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, October 16, 2008, 8 hours before
- Departed: ENA, Kenai, AK
- Destination: ENA, Kenai, AK
- Flight plan: Company VFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 20, 2008; seat: right; flight hours: 14,300 total, 9,000 in this make and model, 13,900 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours
- Student pilot; age 56; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 13, 2008; seat: left; flight hours: 799 total, 30 in this make and model, 620 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter: 30.51 inHg
- Observed at: ENA, 10 nm away

## 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 20090220046779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090220046779A), Feb 20, 2009: Dehavilland DHC MK II, Kenai, AK, Substantial damage. On February 20, 2009, about 1515 Alaska standard time, a wheel/ski-equipped de havilland DHC-2 (beaver) airplane, N5342G, sustained substantial damage during…

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2009, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=73387. 1.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40322557&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.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.

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