De Havilland DHC-3T N888KA

Summary

On 20 August 1999 at about 21:50 local time, a De Havilland DHC-3T registered N888KA, operated by Ketchum Air Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 August 1999 at 21:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.1990, -154.2790

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-3T

Registration

N888KA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ketchum Air Service, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Tutna Lake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC99LA122

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the trailing edge flaps during the takeoff run.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge he was attempting to takeoff from a remote lake. At the beginning of the takeoff water run, the hydraulically actuated flaps were retracted from the fully extended (takeoff) to 1/2 position. He said the airplane came up 'on step' normally, and he then attempted to pump the flaps to the fully extended position. The airplane did not become airborne, and he realized the flap selector handle was in the 'up,' not 'down,' position. The airplane struck the four feet high bank at the end of the lake, separating the floats. The pilot initially indicated he forgot to switch the flap selector handle to 'down.' He later stated he thought he had positioned it correctly, but his shirt sleeve may have snagged the handle and repositioned it.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.