De Havilland DHC-2 N343WB
7 June 2003 · Anchorage, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 June 2003 at about 01:05 local time, a De Havilland DHC-2 registered N343WB was involved in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska, United States. One person was 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 01:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lake Hood Seaplane (LHD)
- Coordinates
- 61.1800, -149.9719
- Aircraft
- De Havilland DHC-2
- Registration
- N343WB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Beluga → Anchorage
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC03LA055
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's incorrect positioning of the fuel tank selector to a nearly empty tank, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and subsequent emergency landing at an off-airport site.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The float-equipped airplane was in the traffic pattern to land at a seaplane base when the engine lost all power, and the pilot made an emergency landing in the backyard of a private residence. During the forced landing, the airplane struck trees and a railing on the deck of the residence, sustaining structural damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that he had the right wing fuel tank selected, and thought the tank was about 1/4 full. He indicated that when the engine lost power, he was too low and didn't have sufficient time or altitude to switch to the belly tank and restore power. Postaccident draining of the fuel tanks disclosed about 18 gallons of fuel in the belly tank, and about one quart in the right wing tank.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other De Havilland DHC-2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 2003 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 2003 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2003 | De Havilland DHC-2 | King Salmon, Alaska, United States | Alaska Anglers, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2003 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Sitka, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jun 2003 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Iliamna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2002 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Bethel, Alaska, United States | Ptarmigan Air | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2003 | Rockwell 500-S | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | State of Alaska Division of Forestry | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2003 | Williamson GLASTAR | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2003 | Cessna 206 | English Bay, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Cloud-Wag Aero SPORTSMEN | Noatak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2003 | Cessna 401 | Gustavus, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-18 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |