Douglas/Basler DC-3C N115Z
5 April 2002 · Casper, Wyoming, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 April 2002 at about 15:45 local time, a Douglas/Basler DC-3C registered N115Z was involved in an accident near Casper, Wyoming, United States. 3 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Casper, Wyoming, United States
- Nearest airport
- Natrona County Intl Arpt (CPR)
- Coordinates
- 42.9083, -106.4639
- Aircraft
- Douglas/Basler DC-3C
- Registration
- N115Z
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Casper → Missoula
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- NTSB number
- DEN02TA037
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The copilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear. A contributing factor was the use of inappropriate medication by the copilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot said that the airplane had taxied out for departure on runway 3. He said that he and his copilot were completing the checklist for departure when the copilot noticed high hydraulic pressure on the landing gear system. The copilot began the landing gear pressure relief procedure, but instead performed the landing gear retraction procedure. The pilot called out to the copilot to intervene, but the left main landing gear had already commenced retracting. The airplane settled onto its left wing damaging several intercostal ribs and wrinkling the left wing's skin. The copilot said that he had taken two capsules of an over the counter medication (Benadryl Allergy) on the morning of the accident. This medication, known as diphenhydramine, commonly results in drowsiness, and has measurable effects on performance of complex cognitive and motor tasks.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 2002 | Boeing E75 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2002 | Beechcraft A35 | Newcastle, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2002 | Arctic S-1B2 | Meeteetse, Wyoming, United States | Wyoming Game and Fish Department | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Jul 2002 | American General AA5B | Worland, Wyoming, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 May 2002 | Cessna 170A | Casper, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Oct 2002 | Cessna T210M | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |