# NTSB ANC14LA071: Dehavilland DHC 2, N93E, Anchorage, AK, September 1, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 31, 2014, 18:00 local (Sep 1, 2014, 02:00 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.191112, -149.97055 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.1911&lon=-149.9706&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 11, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA Anchorage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 90001 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC14LA071 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90001/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90001 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14LA071 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power during takeoff due to a malfunction of the engine-driven fuel pump. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine fuel and control: fuel pump](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057314): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057314/cases.md?model=2808002), [All aircraft, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057314/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2808002), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2808002), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that, just after takeoff while the airplane was about 100 ft above ground level, the engine lost all power. He attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He subsequently made a forced landing in an area of densely populated trees. During postaccident bench testing, the engine-driven fuel pump produced widely inconsistent fuel flow rates. Disassembly of the pump revealed that the oil seal on the spline driver shaft was split and that it was protruding through the opening in the thrust washer. The engine oil seal was not found inside the pump. It could not be determined whether the seal had ever been installed or if the seal had deteriorated inside the housing. The seal housing and pump bearings were dirty, and numerous pieces of foreign matter were noted within the seal and pump housing. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the fuel pump malfunctioned and caused a disruption of adequate fuel to the carburetor, which resulted in a loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On August 31, 2014, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, a deHavilland DHC-2 "Beaver" airplane, N93E, was substantially damaged during a collision with trees and terrain following a loss of engine power during takeoff from Lake Hood Strip, Anchorage, Alaska. Of the four people on board, one passenger received minor injuries and the private pilot and two additional passengers were not injured. The flight was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight destined for a hunting camp approximately 30 miles west of Anchorage. In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) following the accident, the pilot stated he was making a second trip to camp that day when the engine lost power after takeoff at an altitude of about 100 feet above ground level. He unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, and made a forced landing in an area of densely populated spruce trees. During the forced landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and horizontal stabilizer. The engine and airframe were examined by the NTSB IIC at the facilities of Alaska Aircraft Sales on September 4. No airframe anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The engine was examined, and all the internal components were intact and functional. The magnetos, carburetor, and engine driven fuel pump were removed from the engine for further examination. On December 4 and again on January 14, 2015, the NTSB IIC, along with another NTSB investigator examined the removed engine accessories at the facilities of Alaskan Aircraft Engines. The magnetos and carburetor were tested with no anomalies noted. The engine driven fuel pump was tested on two separate test benches, and run through a variety of RPM/Fuel Flow/Fuel Pressure tests. Fuel flow results from the various tests revealed widely inconsistent flow rates under the same test conditions. A control fuel pump was also tested on the same equipment, with consistent results in fuel flow. The pump was disassembled and several anomalies were noted. The spline driver oil seal on the spline driver shaft was split, and was protruding through the opening in the spline driver thrust washer. The engine oil seal was not found inside the pump. It is unknown if the engine oil seal was installed, or if the ring itself deteriorated inside the housing. The overall appearance of the seal housing and pump bearings were dirty and numerous pieces of foreign matter were noted within the seal and pump housing. The fuel pump was installed on the airplane on November 1, 2000, and the engine had accrued about 520 hours of operation since the install. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N93E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N93E), registered now, S/N 1149, built 1956 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC 2 - Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-2-mk-i-l20a) (registry code 2808002) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [NONE](https://openairdocs.org/engine/none) (registry code 00000, none) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1149 - Year built: 1956 - Airframe hours: 4025 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney R-985-B5 450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 11, 2014 - Departed: LHD, Anchorage, AK - Destination: Anchorage, AK - Airport: LHD, Lake Hood, runway 32, 2,200 × 75 ft - Equipment: Auto-pilot ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 8, 2013; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,013.5 total, 592 in this make and model, 900 as pilot in command, 11.1 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.72 inHg - Observed at: PALH, 1 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 20140831016029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140831016029A), Aug 31, 2014: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A), Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed runway 34 from lhd strip. Aircraft lost power at approximately 100FT AGL. Pilot attempted restart and landed in trees. ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90001. 1.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 911 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428236&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Fuel Pump Bench Test Results (item 2, .PDF, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428237&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Pump%20Bench%20Test%20Results-Master.PDF - Returned Property Receipt (item 3, .PDF, 38 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428238&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Returned%20Property%20Receipt-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - View of Airplane From Rear (item 4, .PDF, 379 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428239&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20View%20of%20Airplane%20From%20Rear-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - View of Damaged Spline Driver Seal (item 5, .PDF, 228 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428240&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20View%20of%20Damaged%20Spline%20Driver%20Seal-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.