- Date
- July 9, 2021, 06:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Coffman Cove, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9279ZDehavilland DHC-2-L-20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210709004279A
- Case key
- 103467
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 impact with a buoy on takeoff which resulted in a nose-over.
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 the float-equipped airplane reported that while accelerating on the water for takeoff, he impacted a green channel buoy and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing, left lift strut and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident may have been prevented if he had taxied clear of the obstructions before initiating his takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9279Z
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC-2-L-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 345
- Built
- 1952
- Engine
- P&W R-985 SERIES, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Southeast Aviation
- Registered owner
- Snow Mountain Enterprises LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- KCC · Coffman Cove, runway N/S, 5,000 × 2,000 ft, water
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 15,526 total · 7,962 in this make and model · 15,386 as pilot in command · 98 in the last 90 days · 48 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKW, 27 nm away
- METAR
- PAKW 091453Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC020 13/12 A3012 RMK AO2 RAE13 SLP198 P0001 60004 T01280117 53005 TSNO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.