De Havilland DHC-6 N3434

Summary

On 4 June 2005 at about 22:30 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6 registered N3434 was involved in an accident near Rittman, Ohio, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 June 2005 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Rittman, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Hilty Field (OI68)

Coordinates

40.9414, -81.7978

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-6

Registration

N3434

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hilty Field → Hilty Field

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD05LA073

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a stall and subsequent impact with the ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The purpose of the flight was for the second pilot to perform an evaluation of the first pilot, who was recently designated by the operator as a backup pilot. Following several successful flights with and without passengers, the pilots discussed single engine operations, and the first pilot reduced the right engine's power to flight idle and feathered the propeller. During the final leg of the approach to landing, the airplane crossed over a fence near the runway threshold, and the first pilot pitched the airplane downward. The nose landing gear contacted the runway "hard," and the airplane began to bounce. After several bounces, the first pilot elected to abort the landing, increased power on the left engine to "full." As the first pilot pitched the airplane upward, it yawed to the right, "stalled," and impacted the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.