# NTSB DCA82AA016: de Havilland DHC-6, N127PM, Providence, RI, February 21, 1982

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Final report
- Date: February 21, 1982, 15:33 local (20:33 UTC)
- Place: Providence, RI
- Location: 41.8231° N, 71.4188° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Providence, RI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8231&lon=-71.4188&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal, 10 serious, 1 minor
- Status: Completed, report February 21, 1983
- Report: Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations: Yes
- NTSB case key (mKey): 72317
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA82AA016
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/72317/pdf
- Board report AAR8207 (PDF): https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR8207.pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA82AA016

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Fire, cruise - normal
  - maintenance - inadequate, company maintenance personnel (cause)
  - supervision - inadequate, company/operator management (cause)
  - acft/equip,inadequate aircraft component, manufacturer (cause)
  - anti-ice/deice system,windshield - brittle fracture (cause)
  - anti-ice/deice system,windshield - leak (cause)
  - fuselage,crew compartment - fire (cause)
  - fuselage,crew compartment - smoke (contributing factor)
  - fuselage,cabin - smoke (contributing factor)
- Forced landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - instructions,written/verbal - inadequate (contributing factor)
  - fire extinguishing equipment - not identified, passenger (contributing factor)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown
  - terrain condition - icy

## Analysis

APRX 15 MIN AFT TKOF, LGT ICG WAS NOTED ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE AIRCREW ACTIVATED THE WINDSHIELD WASHER/DEICE SYS WHICH USED ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL. HOWEVER, ONLY A LITTLE DEICING FLUID WAS NOTED ON EITHER SIDE. THE SYS WAS ACTIVATED AGAIN. AFT HLDG THE SW SVRL SECONDS, THE ODOR OF ALCOHOL WAS NOTED.DEICING PROC WAS STOPPED, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, GRAY-WHITESMOKE BGN COMING FM BLO THE FLOOR. THE AIRCREW BGN DIVERTING. THICK SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN & FIRE BROKE OUT ON THE FLOORBTN THE PLTS AS THE ACFT DSCNDD BLO THE CLDS. THE CO-PLT TRIED TO USE 1 FIRE EXTINGUISHER, BUT IT WAS TOO HOT. NO ONE ATMTD TO USE THE CABIN EXTINGUISHER. CRSH LNDG WAS MADE ON A FRZN LAKE. ALL BUT 1 OCCUPANT WERE EVCUATED BFR THE PLANE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED TYGON TUBING WAS USED IN THE DEICE SYS. AFT CONTACT WITH ALCOHOL, THE TUBING HARDENS, BCMS MISHAPED AT CONNECTION POINTS & OFTEN RESULTED IN LEAKS. LEAKS WERE REPAIRED BY RMVG ENDS & REATTACHING. A REPAIR WAS MADE ON 2/18/82 IAW DEHAVILLAND PROC. FIRE EXT LCTNS NOT SUF MARKED OR NOTED ON SEATBACK SAFETY CRDS.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N127PM (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: de Havilland DHC-6
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 105
- Engines: P & W PT6A-20 570 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: In-Flight
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: Pilgrim Airlines
- Registered owner: Pilgrim Airlines
- Departed: C, GROTON, CT
- Destination: C, BOSTON, MA
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 36; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 6,500 total, 2,700 in this make and model, 260 in the last 90 days, 86 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 50° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 1,600 ft broken
- Temperature: 104 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19820221000689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820221000689A), Feb 21, 1982: Dhav DHC6100, Providence, RI, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Accident occurred during emergency landing after isopropyl leak in windshield deicing caused fire in cockpit.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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