Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Monday, August 19, 2002 7:45 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

Two airplanes operated by the same company, a float-equipped deHavilland DHC-2 Beaver, and a float-equipped deHavilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter, collided in midair as they were en route to the same remote destination. The Beaver sustained minor damage to the floats, and the Turbine Otter sustained substantial damage to the top portion of the wings, the fuselage, and vertical stabilizer. The collision occurred over an area of coastal channels and fjords. The pilot of the Beaver stated that his airplane was the first of three company airplanes to depart. Once airborne, and clear of the class E airspace, he changed radio frequencies to monitor a common traffic advisory frequency. He said that about 15 minutes after departure, while in level cruise flight, about 2,000 feet above the water, he felt a sudden thump, followed by a pronounced airframe shudder. He then observed the top of the left wing of the Turbine Otter to his left side, just under the floats of his airplane. He said that just after the two airplanes collided, the Turbine Otter made a left, descending turn, away from his airplane. He said that after determining that he still had full flight control, he elected to return to the operator's base of operation. The pilot of theTurbine Otter said that his airplane was the second of three airplanes. He said that he departed about 5 minutes after the Beaver, and proceeded on a northerly heading, while climbing the airplane to about 2,200 feet. He said that he changed radio frequencies to monitor a common traffic advisory frequency. He said that about 10 minutes after departure, he heard one of the passengers seated in the rear of the airplane yell "airplane." About two seconds later, the pilot heard a loud scrape on the top portion of the airplane. The pilot said that just after the impact, he experienced some difficulty in controlling the airplane, but was soon able to regain partial control, and subsequently made an emergency landing in the ocean waters in the channel. The pilot of theTurbine Otter reported that his airplane was about 10 knots faster than the Beaver.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure of the pilot of the other airplane to maintain an adequate visual lookout, which resulted in a midair collision between the two airplanes.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/19/2002
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 745
Event Time Zone --
Event City Ketchikan
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99901
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 552100N
Event Location Longitude 1314000W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 12
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID --
Elevation of weather observation facility --
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation --
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.01
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 16
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13538
NTSB Notification Source ANC FAA, ROC
NTSB Notification Date Aug 19 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 1 2003 9:44AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Juneau FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N64393 N409PA
NTSB Number ANC02LA098A ANC02LA098B
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? Yes Yes
Damage Minor Substantial
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name de Havilland de Havilland
Aircraft Model DHC-2 DHC-3
Aircraft Series Identifier -- --
Aircraft Serial Number 845 409
Certified Max Gross Weight 5370 7967
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 5 11
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Aug 9 2002 12:00AM Aug 5 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 43.8 62.3
Airframe Hours 29665.3 9541.3
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name PROMECH, Inc. Pantechnicon Avaition, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1515 Tongass Avenue 935 NW 24th Avenue
Aircraft Owner City Ketchikan Portland
Aircraft Owner State AK OR
Aircraft Owner Country USA USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99901 97210
Operator is an individual? No No
Operator Name -- PROMECH, Inc.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes No
Operator Street Address -- 1515 Tongass Avenue
Operator City -- Ketchikan
Operator State -- AK
Operator Country -- USA
Operator Zip code -- 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 No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes No
Departure Airport Code 5KE 5KE
Departure City Ketchikan Ketchikan
Departure State AK AK
Departure Country USA USA
Departure Time 730 733
Departure Time Zone ADT ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code 5KE 5KE
Destination City Ketchikan Ketchikan
Destination State AK AK
Destination Country USA USA
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise - normal Cruise - normal
Report sent to ICAO? Yes Yes
Evacuation occurred No No
Date of most recent change to record May 15 2003 1:11PM May 15 2003 1:11PM
User who most recently changed record PETL PETL
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 -- --