- Date
- May 13, 2019, 12:21 local (20:21 UTC)
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 9 serious, 1 minor
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Defining events
- Maneuvering: Midair collisionManeuvering: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 20, 2021
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting · Board meeting April 20, 2021
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Genesys Aerosystems, Federal Aviation Adminstration, FreeFlight Systems, Venture Travel, LLC
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA reports
- 20190513016761A20190513016771A
- Case key
- 99423
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 inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, which prevented the two pilots from seeing the other airplane before the collision, and the absence of visual and aural alerts from both airplanes’ traffic display systems, while operating in a geographic area with a high concentration of air tour activity. Contributing to the accident were (1) the Federal Aviation Administration’s provision of new transceivers that lacked alerting capability to Capstone Program operators without adequately mitigating the increased risk associated with the consequent loss of the previously available alerting capability and (2) the absence of a requirement for airborne traffic advisory systems with aural alerting among operators who carry passengers for hire.
Findings · 17
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.
N952DB · De Havilland DHC-2
N959PA · De Havilland DHC-3
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.
N952DB · De Havilland DHC-2
N959PA · De Havilland DHC-3
Analysis
On May 13, 2019, about 1221 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped de Havilland DHC 2 (Beaver) airplane, N952DB, and a float-equipped de Havilland DHC-3 (Otter) airplane, N959PA, collided in midair about 8 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. The DHC-2 pilot and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. The DHC-3 pilot sustained minor injuries, nine passengers sustained serious injuries, and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The DHC-2 was destroyed, and the DHC-3 sustained substantial damage. The DHC-2 was registered to and operated by Mountain Air Service LLC, Ketchikan, Alaska, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 as an on-demand sightseeing flight. The DHC-3 was registered to Pantechnicon Aviation LTD, Minden, Nevada, and operated by Venture Travel, LLC, dba Taquan Air, Ketchikan, Alaska, under the provisions of Part 135 as an on-demand sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N952DB
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 237
- Built
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 16,452
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R985-AN-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mountain Air Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Mountain Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 2019
- Destination
- 5KE · Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld 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.
- Registration
- N959PA
- Reported as
- De Havilland DHC-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 159
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 30,296.7
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Venture Travel, LLC, doing business as Taquan Air
- Registered owner
- Pantechnicon Aviation Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 30, 2019
- Departed
- Rudyerd Bay, AK
- Destination
- 5KE · Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N952DB
- Age
- 46
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N959PA
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 25, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKT, 8 nm away
Docket · 55
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 6, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 GB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.