Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ago-6
Sunday, December 12, 1999 2:23 GMT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On December 12, 1999, at 1523 local time (0223 universal coordinated time, utc), a deHavilland DH-6, Canadian registration C-GKBG, owned by Ken Borek Air, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and operated for the U.S. National Science Foundation, crashed during takeoff at outlying Antarctic site, AGO-6 (69.30S, 130.017E). The airplane was destroyed in the crash. There was no fire. Two personnel were on board, the captain sustained no injuries and the first officer sustained minor injuries. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the crash. It is not known whether a flight plan was filed on the flight operated in Antarctica, under the Convention on Civil Air Regulations (ICAO).
The investigation has been assisted substantially, on site, by the Safety Officer for the National Science Foundation, Mr. Harry Mahar. He reports that the airplane had departed Williams Field Skiway near McMurdo Station (77.88S / 167.12E), at 0923 local time, December 12 (2023 utc, December 11), for the purpose of ferrying passengers and equipment form McMurdo Station to two research sites, Midpoint Camp (75.32S, 145.49E) and AGO-6, the crash site. The flight landed at Midpoint-C at 1130 local time, December 12, and at AGO-6 at 1448 local time, where two passengers and 900 pounds of equipment were unloaded. The airplane was refueled at both sites.
The airplane was equipped with skies for operation on snow. Midpoint-C was an established seasonal research camp with a groomed ski-way. AGO-6 was a remote, unstaffed research site, that was resupplied each summer season. The two disembarked passengers were to groom the snow surface at AGO-6, to prepare for Lockheed LC-130 resupply flights to the site. During the attempted takeoff from AGO-6, a ski tip reportedly caught in the snow, a wing then dipped, impacting with the snow and fracturing away from the airframe. The remainder of the airframe rotated in yaw and came to a stop.
The airplane was operated and maintained for the U.S. National Science Foundation by Ken Borek Air, Canada. Both pilots hold Canadian aviation certifications. In accordance with the provisions of ICAO, Annex 13, and by agreement between the Transportation Safety Board, Canada, and the NTSB, TSB has assumed charge of the investigation.
The U.S. Accredited Representative is Thomas R. Conroy, Senior Air Safety Investigator, NTSB, AS-20, Washington, D.C. 20594, tel. (202) 314-6314 / -6329.
For further information, contact the Investigator-in-Charge:
Mr. Don Borden TSB Canada Edmonton, Alberta tel. (780) 495-2010 / -2079
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/12/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 223 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | AGO-6 |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 99 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -34 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 0 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 12 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 422 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | IAD00WA012 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Non-U.S., Non-Commercial |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Unknown |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | de Havilland |
| Aircraft Model | DH-6 TWIN OTTER |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | DH-6 TWIN |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Unknown |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 290 MCTAVISH RD., NE |
| Operator City | CALGARY, CANADA |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | Yes |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | MCMURDO STATION |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |