- Date
- July 4, 1991, 19:30 local (Jul 5, 1991, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5538GDe Havilland DHC-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 5577
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 forced landing on the rough terrain and the engine power loss due to the failure of the engine collector intermediate bearings.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malf
Engine assembly,bearing - failure,totalCause
Forced landing
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - rough/uneven
Terrain condition - none suitableCause
Analysis
About 15 minutes after takeoff while in cruise flight, the engine began running rough and smoking, then lost power. A forced landing was made on the tundra. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the 3 collector intermediate searings and failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5538G
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1295
- Airframe hours
- 11,655
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael L. Cusack, doing business as King Salmon Lodge
- Registered owner
- Beaver, Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1991 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Igiugig, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,900 total · 600 in this make and model · 2,700 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken