# NTSB DCA89MA076: de Havilland DHC-6-300, N75GC, Grand Canyon, AZ, September 27, 1989

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 1 · Major · Final report
- Date: September 27, 1989, 09:53 local (16:53 UTC)
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Coordinates: 36.029327, -112.019805 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0293&lon=-112.0198&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 10 fatal, 9 serious, 2 minor
- Status: Completed, report September 5, 1991
- Report: Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class: Class 1
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations: Yes
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15922
- NTSB case page: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA89MA076.aspx
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15922/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA89MA076

## Probable cause

IMPROPER PILOT TECHNIQUES AND CREW COORDINATION DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT, BOUNCE, AND ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND.

## Sequence of events

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

- Loss of control - in flight, landing - aborted
  - flare - improper, copilot/second pilot (cause)
  - crew/group coordination - improper (cause)
  - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - go-around - attempted, pilot in command

## Analysis

GRAND CANYON AIRLINES FLT 5 (DEHAVILLAND DHC-6, N75GC) DEPD GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK ARPT ON A LOCAL PART 135, SIGHT- SEEING FLT. AFTER RTRNG FROM A NORMAL TRIP, THE FLT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RWY 21. OBSERVERS RPRTD THE APCH TO THE ARPT WAS NORMAL, BUT THE ACFT TRAVELED ABOUT 1000' DOWN THE RWY AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 5' BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. RPRTDLY, IT BOUNCED &TRAVELED ANOTHER 1000' BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN AGAIN. THE ACFT THEN VEERED TO THE RGT & THE FLT CREW INITIATED A GO-AROUND (ABORTED LNDG). THE ACFT CLIMBED IN A NOSE HIGH ALT TO ABOUT 150' TO 200' AGL, THEN IT ROLLED TO THE LEFT & CRASHED ONTOA WOODED HILL ABOUT 120' LEFT OF THE RWY. A PWR LINE WAS SEVERED DURING IMPACT, WHICH INTERUPTED ELEC PWR TO THE ARPT & DELAYED EMERG RESPONSE TO THE CRASH. SURVIVING PSGRS RPRTD THE RGT SEAT PLT WAS FLYING THE ACFT, WHILE THE LEFT SEAT PLTNARRATED THE TOUR; BUT AFTER A HARD TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT SEAT PLT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT & APPLIED FULL PWR FOR A GO-AROUND. A SCRAPE MARK WAS FND WHERE THE RGT WINGTIP SCRAPED THE RWY DURING THE 2ND TOUCHDOWN.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N75GC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N75GC-1994-03-22), registration cancelled 1994-03-22, S/N 439 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: de Havilland DHC-6-300
- Registry model: [Dehavilland DHC-6 TWIN OTTER](https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-twin-otter) (registry code 2802606) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 439
- Airframe hours: 11180
- Engines: P&W PT6A-27 620 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Part 135
- Registered owner: Grand Canyon Airlines
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 23, 1989, 19 hours before
- Flight plan: Company VFR
- Airport: GCN, Grand Canyon, runway 21, 8,999 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; airline transport, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 4,120 total, 2,610 in this make and model, 4,014 as pilot in command, 297 in the last 90 days, 79 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: GCN

## 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 19890927036489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890927036489A), Sep 27, 1989: Dhav DHC6300, Grand Canyon, AZ, Destroyed, 10 fatal. Bounced,veered off runway landing. Began nose high go around. Stalled into trees. Improper techniques coodination.

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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