De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 accident near Seldovia, AK
On July 19, 2019, a De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Seldovia, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 19, 2019
- Place
- Seldovia, AK
- Aircraft
- De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 59.469°N, 151.489°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190721X02950
Official records · ANC19FA035
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 19, 2019, about 1010 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, N68083, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Seldovia, Alaska. The pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries, one passenger was fatally injured, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one passenger was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 on-demand commercial flight. The purpose of the flight was to transport passengers from a remote lodge located at Tutka Bay, Alaska, to Lake Hood Seaplane Base (PALH), Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot stated that, after loading the passengers and their baggage onboard, he started the airplane's engine and provided a passenger safety briefing. He then taxied out and initiated his takeoff. He stated that as the airplane was accelerating on the step, he saw the left float begin to move into his peripheral vision from the left cockpit window. He said that the airplane felt as if it had "lost its rigidity" on the floats and began to "yaw" to the left. In an effort to correct for the left turning tendency, he applied right aileron, to no avail. The left wing subsequently impacted the water and the airplane nosed over, separating the right wing from the fuselage. He stated that the airplane immediately began to fill with water as he struggled to exit the submerged wreckage. During hospital interviews, the passengers consistently reported that after the engine was started, the pilot asked them to remove their headsets while he p
Probable cause
The airplane's floats impact with an ocean wave or swell, which exceeded the design load specifications of the flying wire assemblies and resulted in a partial separation of the float assemblies.
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
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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.
