De Havilland DHC-2 accident near Nondalton, AK
On July 30, 1998, a De Havilland DHC-2 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Nondalton, AK. 1 person died.
- Date
- July 30, 1998
- Place
- Nondalton, AK
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-2 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- —
- Position
- 59.961°N, 154.871°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10462
NTSB summary
On July 30, 1998, about 0800 Alaska daylight time, the propeller of a float equipped Dehavilland DHC-2 airplane, N123EF, struck and fatally injured a deplaning passenger near Six Mile Lake, Alaska, located about 2 miles south of Nondalton, Alaska. The airplane was not damaged, and none of the remaining five passengers, or the commercial certificated pilot, were injured. The 14 CFR business flight operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Rainbow River Lodge, Iliamna, Alaska, about 0733. The lodge owner, the pilot, and a fishing guide employed by the lodge, were all interviewed via telephone by the NTSB investigator-in-charge on the day of the accident. All the interviewees related essentially the same information. The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to transport three fishing guides, and three lodge guests, to a remote fishing site near the outflow of Lake Clark and Six Mile Lake. After the airplane landed, it water taxied towards the shore. As it approached the shore, the pilot instructed the fishing guide seated in the right front (copilot) seat to leave the cabin, and stand on the float behind the right side cabin door, until the propeller stopped turning. After the propeller stopped, the guide was to go to the front of the float, grab a docking rope, and dock the airplane. Simultaneously, or nearly simultaneous with these instructions, the pilot said he pulled the mixture to idle cutoff, and turned the magnetos to the "OFF" position. The pilot then reached down to retract the water rudders, and heard a noise
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate procedures/directives when he allowed a passenger to exit the cabin area while the propeller was still turning, and the passenger's failure to follow the pilot's instructions to stay away from the propeller. A factor associated with the accident is the passenger's unfamiliarity with aircraft.
More accidents in AK
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Browse: Alaska · De Havilland aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
