- Date
- August 12, 1992, 11:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Crescent Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8190YDe Havilland DHC-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920812031179A
- Case key
- 5775
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 misjudging his altitude on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the glassy water condition.
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
Approximately 5 seconds after leveling the wings on final approach for a glassy water landing on a large lake, the airplane experienced a hard premature landing. The floats were separated, and the airplane sank immediately. The pilot said that because of the flat lighting and glassy water conditions he lost his depth perception and misjudged his altitude. He said when the airplane hit the water he thought he was still 70 to 80 feet above the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8190Y
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 824
- Airframe hours
- 9,835
- Engine
- P&W R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Alaska West Air Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Alaska West Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1992 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- Company 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 300 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F
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 N8190Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.