Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 N27BN
30 November 2009 · Pago Pago, American Samoa · No injuries
Summary
On 30 November 2009 at about 22:00 local time, a Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 registered N27BN, operated by Inter Island Airways, Inc., was involved in an accident near Pago Pago, American Samoa. 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 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pago Pago, American Samoa
- Nearest airport
- Tafuna/Pago Pago International (PPG)
- Coordinates
- -14.3317, -170.7114
- Aircraft
- Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26
- Registration
- N27BN
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Inter Island Airways, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Flight Test
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Pago Pago → Pago Pago
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA077
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's action to maneuver the airplane to avoid a collision with a flock of birds while on final approach, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the birds.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was performing a maintenance test flight at an airport located right on the water's edge, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The pilot stated that as he began the landing flare, several birds flew in front of his windscreen. To avoid hitting the birds, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to the left. The airplane subsequently landed hard on the left main landing gear, just left of the runway centerline. The pilot reported that after touchdown, to avoid running off the runway, he applied right braking action, which resulted in the airplane turning violently to the right and coming to a stop with the nose between 20-30 degrees from runway centerline. Postaccident inspection of the airplane found that the left wing was wrinkled and structurally damaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 2024 | Pilatus Britten Norman BN-2B-26 ISLANDER | Wasu, Papua New Guinea | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Feb 2026 | Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-27 | Isla de Culebra, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Dec 2010 | Boeing 767 | Pago Pago, American Samoa | International Lease Finance Corp | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2014 | Beechcraft A36 | Pago Pago, American Samoa | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 Apr 2016 | Boeing 737 | Apia, American Samoa | - | Unknown | - |
| 28 Apr 1993 | Bell 47-G2 | American Samoa | San Diego Fisheries | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 1991 | Piper PA-60-602P | Pago Pago, American Samoa | Apollo Air P/L | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1991 | De Havilland DHC6-300 | Nuuuli, American Samoa | Polynesian Airlines | Unknown | - |