- Date
- September 25, 1991, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Holitna River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N17394De Havilland DHC-2 MKI
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910925042919A
- Case key
- 5626
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 airplane's float hit a submerged log during landing on the River, which resulted in the pilot losing control of the airplane and crashing into the water.
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that just after touchdown on the River, the airplane's right float hit a submerged log. The airplane then cartwheeled and came to rest upside down in the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N17394
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-2 MKI
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 495
- Airframe hours
- 6,750
- Engine
- P&W R985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Ralph C. Meloon, doing business as Holitna Wilderness Lodge
- Registered owner
- Ralph C. Meloon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 1991 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- RDV · Red Devil, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 15 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N17394 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.