Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Ketchikan Water Front Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 17:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A float-equipped deHavilland DHC-6, N235SA, was moored at a dock. The passengers were boarded, and the two pilots were finishing preflight duties. The airplane's engines were not running. Moored at the same dock, about four feet behind N235SA, was another float-equipped deHavilland DHC-6, N353PM. Both airplanes were being operated as sightseeing flights. The pilots of N353PM had completed their pretaxi checks, and the engines were running. The pilot in command of N353PM signaled the dockhand to disconnect the shore power. The dockhand disconnected the shore power, and without direction to do so, let go the mooring ropes. N353PM, under idle power, surged forward into the tail of N235SA. Both airplanes received substantial damage. Company procedures at the time of the accident directed the dockhand to wait for a signal from the pilot before letting go the mooring ropes. Post-accident the operation has been moved to a longer dock, to provide greater distance between airplanes. The procedure has been changed, and the first officer is now responsible for releasing the mooring ropes at the direction of the pilot.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of a ground handler to follow company procedures/directives, and his premature release of a mooring line. Factors associated with the accident were the congested operations area, and the operator's failure to provide adequate safe zones for the airplanes.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/19/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Ketchikan |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99901 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 552100N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1314036W |
| Event Location Airport | Ketchikan Water Front |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | WFB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1709 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAKT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 97 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 31 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12551 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 19 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 16 2003 4:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Juneau FSDO-05 |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N353PM | N235SA |
| NTSB Number | ANC02LA053A | ANC02LA053B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | de Havilland | de Havilland |
| Aircraft Model | DHC-6-300 | DHC-6-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 351 | 771 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 | 12500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 19 | 19 |
| Number of Engines | 2 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 11 2001 12:00AM | May 23 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 95.6 | 106 |
| Airframe Hours | 13701.1 | 25732 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | N353PM, LLC | Kevin M. Hack |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1515 Tongass Avenue | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ketchikan | Ketchikan |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99901 | 99901 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | PROMECH INC. | PROMECH INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1515 Tongass Avenue | 1515 Tongass Avenue |
| Operator City | Ketchikan | Ketchikan |
| Operator State | AK | AK |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99901 | 99901 |
| Operator Code | PJMA | PJMA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- | -- |
| Departure City | Ketchikan | -- |
| Departure State | AK | -- |
| Departure Country | USA | -- |
| Departure Time | -- | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | -- |
| Destination City | Ketchikan | -- |
| Destination State | AK | -- |
| Destination Country | USA | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing - engine(s) operating | Standing - engine(s) not operating |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2002 4:59PM | Nov 11 2002 2:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG | SNYG |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- | -- |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |