De Havilland DHC 2 accident near Metlakatla, AK
On May 20, 2019, a De Havilland DHC 2 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Metlakatla, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 20, 2019
- Place
- Metlakatla, AK
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC 2 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 55.132°N, 131.571°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190520X14645
Official records · ANC19FA019
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 20, 2019, about 1556 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, N67667, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Metlakatla, Alaska. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 commuter flight. According to company dispatch documents, the flight was a scheduled commuter flight with one passenger and cargo onboard, which originated from Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base (5KE), Ketchikan, Alaska, and was destined for Metlakatla Seaplane Base (MTM), Metlakatla, Alaska, about 16 miles southeast. A review of GPS track data revealed that the airplane departed 5KE about 1543 and traveled southeast over an area known as the Tongass Narrows, then south to Metlakatla Harbor at an altitude of about 800 ft. The airplane made a right turn to a 240° (magnetic) heading in the southern portion of the harbor then the data ended. (See figure 1.) Figure 1. Flight track (red) and wind observation. There were three witnesses to the airplane’s approach and landing. One of the witnesses, who was taking photographs near the pier, reported that the wind appeared to be pushing the airplane right during touchdown and that the airplane was drifting right as the floats contacted the water. After the airplane skipped once or twice, the left wing “dipped” down, then the right wing “dipped down and dug into the water,” which resulted in the airplane nosing over and the right wing separating. Another witness, who was in a boat, stated that
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a quartering tailwind during a water landing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the company’s inadequate operational control of the flight release process, which resulted in assignment of an inexperienced pilot to a commuter seaplane flight.
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
- Textron Aviation Inc 208B, Feb 6, 2025
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jul 7, 2013
- Cessna 208, Oct 10, 2001
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jun 25, 2015
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.
