- Date
- October 7, 2019, 14:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Kodiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1544De Havilland Beaver DHC 2
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191007021139A
- Case key
- 100390
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 failure to maintain lateral control while landing on glassy water, which resulted in the left float touching the water, a loss of yaw control, and impact with a riverbank.
Findings · 5
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.
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.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during landing on a glassy river and as he was rolling the wings level, he felt the left float touch the water. The airplane yawed left, went up a riverbank, and slid on the tundra. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during a landing on a glassy river, as he was rolling the wings level, he felt the left float touch the water. The airplane yawed to the left, went up the river bank, and slid on the tundra. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1544
- Reported as
- De Havilland Beaver DHC 2 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1230
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 31,302.2
- Engine
- P&W R985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Andrew Airways Inc
- Registered owner
- Andrew Airways Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 30, 2019
- Departed
- Larson Bay, AK
- Destination
- Kodiak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking 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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 16, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,173 total · 238 in this make and model · 7,978 as pilot in command · 231 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 12 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 MB in all.
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 N1544 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.