- Date
- October 26, 1991, 09:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Chevak, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N724CADe Havilland DHC-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19911026048059A
- Case key
- 5667
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The high crosswind condition, the pilot in commands inability to compensate for the wind conditions, and his failure to follow company procedures and the procedures recommended in the aircraft flight manual. Factor relating to the accident was the captain's overconfidence in his personal ability.
Analysis
The captain elected to takeoff on runway 14 at Chevak. According to the first officer, the station manager, and the director of flight operations the wind was blowing 090 to 100 degrees at 35 to 40 knots. The captain stated the wind was from 060 to 090 degrees at 22 to 25 knots gusting to 35 knots. The captain elected to use 20 degrees of flap for takeoff, however, the flight manual recommends that only 10 degrees of flap be used for a crosswind takeoff. The flight manual states that the demonstrated crosswind component for this airplane was 20 knots but is not a limiting factor. The captain performed the takeoff and upon lift off the airplane weather vaned and began to drift to the right. Simultaneously the left wing rose into the air and the right wing dragged the ground. According to the director of flight operations other company flights in the area canceled their flights earlier due to high winds.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N724CA
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 793
- Airframe hours
- 11,274
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-27, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Markair Express Inc.
- Registered owner
- Markair Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 26, 1991 · 106 hours before
- Destination
- HPB · Hooper Bay, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- VAK · Chevak, runway 14, 2,690 × 40 ft, gravel
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,850 total · 1,353 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command · 274 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 30 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.