- Date
- August 27, 2013, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N734QDehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130827018139A
- Case key
- 87887
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 directional control and crosswind compensation during landing.
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 reported that while landing the float-equipped airplane on a river, there was a left quartering headwind present and the water condition was choppy. The pilot stated that as the airplane touched down on the water, it yawed to the left and the right wing struck the water, which resulted in structural damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing the float-equipped airplane on a river, there was a left quartering headwind present and the water condition was choppy. The pilot stated that as the airplane touched down on the water, it yawed to the left and the right wing struck the water, which resulted in structural damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734Q
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1395
- Airframe hours
- 9,348
- Engine
- P&W R-985 SERIES, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Ptarmigan Air LLC
- Registered owner
- Ptarmigan Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 3, 2013 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- Bethel, AK
- Destination
- Bethel, AK
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,065 total · 220 in this make and model · 990 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PABE, 3 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB 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.