- Date
- August 25, 2012, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 3 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N314HADehavilland Beaver U-6
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern base: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120825018489A
- Case key
- 84823
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 failure to maintain adequate ground clearance during his landing approach, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of a float-equipped airplane was landing at a remote lake. The pilot stated that he was on a left base leg turning onto a short final approach when the left float struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot indicated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a float-equipped airplane was landing at a remote lake. The pilot stated that he was in a left base to final turn when the left float struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot indicated there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N314HA
- Reported as
- Dehavilland Beaver U-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 54-1720
- Airframe hours
- 20,174
- Engine
- P&W R-985 SERIES, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- High Adventur Air Charter, Guides & Outfitters Inc, doing business as High Adventure Air Charter
- Registered owner
- Soldotna Aircraft & Equipment Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 9, 2012
- Departed
- Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PVT · Big River Lakes, runway 14, water
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 8, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 725 in this make and model · 1,350 as pilot in command · 432 in the last 90 days · 156 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 685 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.