1 dead, 9 unaccounted for in float plane crash: US Coast Guard
https://abcnews.go.com/US/coast-guard-r ... d=89331778
https://fridayharborseaplanes.com/
At least one person is dead and several others are unaccounted for after a float plane crash in Puget Sound on Sunday, officials said.
"A de Havilland DHC-3 Otter crashed in Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, Wash., around 3:10 p.m. local time Sunday," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
There were 10 people onboard, nine adults and one child, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The FAA said initial reports "indicate 10 people were aboard."
The Coast Guard recovered the body of one person, the branch's Pacific Northwest division wrote on Twitter Sunday evening.
"The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate," the FAA said. "The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates."
The plane was traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton when it crashed, the USCG said.
The Coast Guard responded to a report of the crash that was initially said to have eight adults and one child onboard, the USCG Pacific Northwest had said earlier Sunday. The USCG later corrected its statement, saying there were 10 people unaccounted for.
South Whidbey Fire/EMS said that its crew was at the scene near the west side of Whidbey Island.
10 presumed dead after float plane crashes west of Whidbey Island
USCG confirmed the body of one person has been found deceased, as crews search for the nine others who were onboard, including one child.
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/ ... 2a36569b19
AUSTIN, Wash. — One person has been confirmed dead and nine others are unaccounted for after a float plane crashed near Whidbey Island on Sunday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said crews from multiple agencies have responded to the reported crash in Mutiny Bay west of Whidbey Island.
Nine adults and one child were aboard the aircraft, Coast Guard officials said. All 10 are presumed dead, according to South Whidbey Fire, and the search is a recovery effort.
The flight reportedly departed from Friday Harbor and was bound for Renton. It was owned by Friday Harbor Seaplanes.
There's no known cause of the crash at this time, but witnesses described it quickly descending into the water, according to South Whidbey Fire.
The body of one person has been recovered, USCG Pacific Northwest Public Affairs confirmed, while the search continues for the remaining passengers. It is not known if the one confirmed death was the child or an adult.
USCG has established a surface safety zone around the scene and multiple boats are taking part in the search. The recovery efforts are expected to continue into the night using specialized lights and equipment.
In addition to two Coast Guard cutters and one helicopter on scene, marines units also responded from South Whidbey Fire, North Whidbey Fire, Kitsap County Fire, and Everett Fire. Search and rescue resources from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island also responded.
PP
Otter Down in San Juan Islands
Re: Otter Down in San Juan Islands
10 presumed dead in seaplane crash off Whidbey Island, rescue efforts suspended
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-ne ... ane-crash/
Rescue efforts were suspended midday Monday for nine people still missing after a floatplane crashed off Whidbey Island the day before, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
All ten people who were aboard the plane when it crashed Sunday shortly after 3 p.m. are presumed dead. A woman’s body was recovered Sunday shortly after the crash by the first crews to respond, while the other nine people, including a child, remain unaccounted for.
The plane, a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter owned by the charter service Northwest Seaplanes and operated by Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton.
7:12 pm
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Family members of victims release statement
Family members of Ross Mickel, a local winery owner and passenger aboard the plane who is presumed dead, released a statement:
"We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable. They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward. We want to thank all the first responders, emergency service agencies of Whidbey Island, Island County, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), and the private citizens who participated in the search and rescue efforts following the crash. The enormous outpouring and support we have received from our friends, family, and the public has been overwhelming. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who also lost loved ones on-board. At this difficult time, we are requesting that our privacy be respected as we grieve the loss of our family members."
3:32 pm
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Owners of downed plane release statement
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was operating yesterday’s flight, traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company,... (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)More
Northwest Seaplanes, which owns the seaplane that crashed near Whidbey Island on Sunday, released a short statement via its Facebook account Monday afternoon.
"The team at Northwest Seaplanes is heartbroken," the statement read. "We don't know any details yet regarding the cause of the accident."
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was operating yesterday's flight, traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton.
—Anna Patrick
1:36 pm
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Plane model has had at least 14 fatal U.S. crashes since 1975
At least 14 fatal crashes have been reported involving the model of seaplane that crashed with 10 people on board Sunday off Whidbey Island.
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that it has investigated 59 crashes involving the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane, including eight fatal crashes that killed a total of 18 people between 1975 and August 2004, when the last fatal crash of that model occurred in McGrath, Alaska. Six of those crashes involving the DHC-3 happened in Alaska, with others in Puerto Rico and Texas.
While the NTSB data reflects only closed investigations, Associated Press reports indicate at least six more fatal accidents in the U.S. involving that model in the intervening years.
A pilot and two passengers were killed Oct. 26, 2019, in the Canadian province of Manitoba when the right wing of a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter separated from its fuselage, according to a report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The plane was flying at an altitude of 400 feet when the wing came off, causing the plane to plunge into a lake in “a nose-down attitude,” according to the report.
Citing the fatal crash in Canada, last December the FAA issued an airworthiness directive, meant to alert operators to maintenance requirements based on past problems a particular model of aircraft has experienced.
The directive takes aim at the prospect of wear and tear causing wings to separate from the fuselage of DHC-3 aircraft midflight, just one of several concerns with that model that got the FAA’s attention.
In all, the FAA has issued 27 airworthiness directives targeting that model of aircraft. The concerns they address range from engine fires to elevator control systems that control the plane’s pitch and inadequate seat restraints that might not function properly in a crash, among others.
—Patrick Malone
1:19 pm
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No distress call from plane
The pilot of the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter that crashed Sunday afternoon did not log a distress call before hitting the water, Scott Giard, search and rescue program director for the Pacific Northwest regional Coast Guard, confirmed Monday.
The first official log of the crash came via a 911 call to the Island County Emergency Operations Center at 3:11 pm, said William Colclough, assistant public affairs officer with the Coast Guard’s 13th District.
According to Giard, the owner of the plane was tracking the flight and attempted to radio when it veered slightly toward Port Townsend and later stopped tracking. There was no answer.
—David Kroman and Sarah Grace Taylor
12:43 pm
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Coast Guard suspends search
The Coast Guard said it has suspended its search and called off rescue efforts for the nine people who remain missing after the floatplane crash.
The mission will now become a recovery effort, and the agency was bringing out a drone and submersible craft to continue looking for victims and debris from the plane. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also has divers at the scene.
The Coast Guard's decision to suspend an active search and rescue is based on estimations of how long someone could have survived in the water, and the Guard’s inability to scour beneath the water, said Scott Giard, search and rescue program director for the Pacific Northwest regional Coast Guard.
All next of kin have been notified, the Coast Guard said.
The rescue mission included a search area of more than 2,100 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard said.
“It is always difficult when it comes time to make a decision to stop searching,” Captain Daniel Broadhurst, incident management branch chief for the Coast Guard's 13th district, said in a news release. “The hearts of all the first responders go out to those who lost a family member, a loved one or a friend in the crash.”
Currently, the Coast Guard knows very little about the circumstances of the crash or the state of the aircraft, Giard said. The recovery effort will seek to recover evidence that could help in investigating the cause and circumstances of the crash.
The Coast Guard has recovered several yardslong pieces of aluminum and smaller pieces of debris smelling of fuel, but “very little” of the actual plane has been found as of midday Monday, Giard said. He showed reporters a piece of foam found by a nearby resident. About the size of a saucer, it smelled of fuel and is presumed to be evidence.
“Debris is very finicky with not having a clear video or pictures of the actual crash itself and not knowing how grandiose or extravagant the actual damage was when it hit the water,” Giard said. “It really gives us no idea whether the aircraft completely broke up or maybe if there is a large piece of fuselage underneath the water.”
They believe the bulk of the plane is on the seafloor, about 150 to 250 feet under the surface, Giard said.
Crews will resume rescue efforts if new evidence of survivors is discovered.
—Sarah Grace Taylor
12:18 pm
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'It's a small crew' at seaplane company
Northwest Seaplanes' business office next to the seaplane dock at the Renton Municipal Airport remained closed behind fencing on Monday.
The only visible activity was two people hugging near the front door. The only floatplane at the dock appeared to be a small private Cessna.
A woman who answered the phone early Monday said they’re waiting to learn more and are devastated by the crash.
“It’s a small crew. Everyone’s close,” said the woman, who would only give her first name, Michelle. She declined to say more.
—The Associated Press
11:58 am
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Plane dropped suddenly, crashed in a matter of seconds
Before it crashed into Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, the DHC-3 Otter floatplane appeared to be in control for the first 18 minutes of its flight from Friday Harbor to Renton, according to Kathleen Bangs, an aviation expert and former seaplane pilot. But when the plane began to lose elevation, it did so quickly, at a pace of thousands of feet per minute, said Bangs, who is the spokesperson for Flight Aware but was speaking in her individual capacity.
The plane was flying at around 600 feet, at a speed of roughly 140 miles per hour, which means its plunge into Puget Sound occurred in just seconds.
“When you see something like that, you think, ‘Could it have been a collision with something, could it have been pilot incapacitation, or could it have been intentional?’” she said. “Once you get those out of the way, the thing I’d be looking at is the age of the airplane.”
The DHC-3 is a solid craft with a good reputation, she said, but it was built in the 1960s. Compounding the age is the saltwater in which the plane operates; that can speed corrosion.
Bangs is skeptical the issue was with the engine; a pilot in a seaplane could maneuver the plane toward an emergency landing more slowly if the problem was a power loss.
“They were by no means under control,” she said.
PP
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-ne ... ane-crash/
Rescue efforts were suspended midday Monday for nine people still missing after a floatplane crashed off Whidbey Island the day before, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
All ten people who were aboard the plane when it crashed Sunday shortly after 3 p.m. are presumed dead. A woman’s body was recovered Sunday shortly after the crash by the first crews to respond, while the other nine people, including a child, remain unaccounted for.
The plane, a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter owned by the charter service Northwest Seaplanes and operated by Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton.
7:12 pm
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Family members of victims release statement
Family members of Ross Mickel, a local winery owner and passenger aboard the plane who is presumed dead, released a statement:
"We are deeply saddened and beyond devastated at the loss of our beloved Ross Mickel, Lauren Hilty, Remy and their unborn baby boy, Luca. Our collective grief is unimaginable. They were a bright and shining light in the lives of everyone who knew them. Although their time with us was too short, we will carry their legacy forward. We want to thank all the first responders, emergency service agencies of Whidbey Island, Island County, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI), and the private citizens who participated in the search and rescue efforts following the crash. The enormous outpouring and support we have received from our friends, family, and the public has been overwhelming. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who also lost loved ones on-board. At this difficult time, we are requesting that our privacy be respected as we grieve the loss of our family members."
3:32 pm
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Owners of downed plane release statement
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was operating yesterday’s flight, traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company,... (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)More
Northwest Seaplanes, which owns the seaplane that crashed near Whidbey Island on Sunday, released a short statement via its Facebook account Monday afternoon.
"The team at Northwest Seaplanes is heartbroken," the statement read. "We don't know any details yet regarding the cause of the accident."
Northwest Seaplanes is a charter service located in Renton. Its sister company, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, was operating yesterday's flight, traveling from Friday Harbor to Renton.
—Anna Patrick
1:36 pm
Share
Plane model has had at least 14 fatal U.S. crashes since 1975
At least 14 fatal crashes have been reported involving the model of seaplane that crashed with 10 people on board Sunday off Whidbey Island.
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that it has investigated 59 crashes involving the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter floatplane, including eight fatal crashes that killed a total of 18 people between 1975 and August 2004, when the last fatal crash of that model occurred in McGrath, Alaska. Six of those crashes involving the DHC-3 happened in Alaska, with others in Puerto Rico and Texas.
While the NTSB data reflects only closed investigations, Associated Press reports indicate at least six more fatal accidents in the U.S. involving that model in the intervening years.
A pilot and two passengers were killed Oct. 26, 2019, in the Canadian province of Manitoba when the right wing of a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter separated from its fuselage, according to a report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The plane was flying at an altitude of 400 feet when the wing came off, causing the plane to plunge into a lake in “a nose-down attitude,” according to the report.
Citing the fatal crash in Canada, last December the FAA issued an airworthiness directive, meant to alert operators to maintenance requirements based on past problems a particular model of aircraft has experienced.
The directive takes aim at the prospect of wear and tear causing wings to separate from the fuselage of DHC-3 aircraft midflight, just one of several concerns with that model that got the FAA’s attention.
In all, the FAA has issued 27 airworthiness directives targeting that model of aircraft. The concerns they address range from engine fires to elevator control systems that control the plane’s pitch and inadequate seat restraints that might not function properly in a crash, among others.
—Patrick Malone
1:19 pm
Share
No distress call from plane
The pilot of the de Havilland DHC-3 Otter that crashed Sunday afternoon did not log a distress call before hitting the water, Scott Giard, search and rescue program director for the Pacific Northwest regional Coast Guard, confirmed Monday.
The first official log of the crash came via a 911 call to the Island County Emergency Operations Center at 3:11 pm, said William Colclough, assistant public affairs officer with the Coast Guard’s 13th District.
According to Giard, the owner of the plane was tracking the flight and attempted to radio when it veered slightly toward Port Townsend and later stopped tracking. There was no answer.
—David Kroman and Sarah Grace Taylor
12:43 pm
Share
Coast Guard suspends search
The Coast Guard said it has suspended its search and called off rescue efforts for the nine people who remain missing after the floatplane crash.
The mission will now become a recovery effort, and the agency was bringing out a drone and submersible craft to continue looking for victims and debris from the plane. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also has divers at the scene.
The Coast Guard's decision to suspend an active search and rescue is based on estimations of how long someone could have survived in the water, and the Guard’s inability to scour beneath the water, said Scott Giard, search and rescue program director for the Pacific Northwest regional Coast Guard.
All next of kin have been notified, the Coast Guard said.
The rescue mission included a search area of more than 2,100 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard said.
“It is always difficult when it comes time to make a decision to stop searching,” Captain Daniel Broadhurst, incident management branch chief for the Coast Guard's 13th district, said in a news release. “The hearts of all the first responders go out to those who lost a family member, a loved one or a friend in the crash.”
Currently, the Coast Guard knows very little about the circumstances of the crash or the state of the aircraft, Giard said. The recovery effort will seek to recover evidence that could help in investigating the cause and circumstances of the crash.
The Coast Guard has recovered several yardslong pieces of aluminum and smaller pieces of debris smelling of fuel, but “very little” of the actual plane has been found as of midday Monday, Giard said. He showed reporters a piece of foam found by a nearby resident. About the size of a saucer, it smelled of fuel and is presumed to be evidence.
“Debris is very finicky with not having a clear video or pictures of the actual crash itself and not knowing how grandiose or extravagant the actual damage was when it hit the water,” Giard said. “It really gives us no idea whether the aircraft completely broke up or maybe if there is a large piece of fuselage underneath the water.”
They believe the bulk of the plane is on the seafloor, about 150 to 250 feet under the surface, Giard said.
Crews will resume rescue efforts if new evidence of survivors is discovered.
—Sarah Grace Taylor
12:18 pm
Share
'It's a small crew' at seaplane company
Northwest Seaplanes' business office next to the seaplane dock at the Renton Municipal Airport remained closed behind fencing on Monday.
The only visible activity was two people hugging near the front door. The only floatplane at the dock appeared to be a small private Cessna.
A woman who answered the phone early Monday said they’re waiting to learn more and are devastated by the crash.
“It’s a small crew. Everyone’s close,” said the woman, who would only give her first name, Michelle. She declined to say more.
—The Associated Press
11:58 am
Share
Plane dropped suddenly, crashed in a matter of seconds
Before it crashed into Mutiny Bay off Whidbey Island, the DHC-3 Otter floatplane appeared to be in control for the first 18 minutes of its flight from Friday Harbor to Renton, according to Kathleen Bangs, an aviation expert and former seaplane pilot. But when the plane began to lose elevation, it did so quickly, at a pace of thousands of feet per minute, said Bangs, who is the spokesperson for Flight Aware but was speaking in her individual capacity.
The plane was flying at around 600 feet, at a speed of roughly 140 miles per hour, which means its plunge into Puget Sound occurred in just seconds.
“When you see something like that, you think, ‘Could it have been a collision with something, could it have been pilot incapacitation, or could it have been intentional?’” she said. “Once you get those out of the way, the thing I’d be looking at is the age of the airplane.”
The DHC-3 is a solid craft with a good reputation, she said, but it was built in the 1960s. Compounding the age is the saltwater in which the plane operates; that can speed corrosion.
Bangs is skeptical the issue was with the engine; a pilot in a seaplane could maneuver the plane toward an emergency landing more slowly if the problem was a power loss.
“They were by no means under control,” she said.
PP
Re: Otter Down in San Juan Islands
5 additional bodies recovered from Whidbey Island floatplane crash
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/ntsb- ... -killed-10#
ISLAND COUNTY, Wash. - Authorities say they’ve recovered 80% of a floatplane that crashed on Sept. 4 near Whidbey Island that killed all ten people on board. As of Sept. 30, a total of six victims were recovered.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the US Navy are working together to recover the wreckage.
Teams began a 24/7 operation Tuesday morning working until the wreckage is back above water. Crews are equipped with an underwater drone, a large crane and a team of specialists.
Island County Emergency Management told FOX 13 that five additional victims were recovered on Sept. 30. Gabbie Hana, a 30-year-old lawyer for an international law firm, was found shortly after the crash. So far, she has been the only body that has been identified.
The medical examiner's office has yet to release the identity of the five others found.
Chair of the NTSB Jennifer Homendy told FOX 13 News on Thursday that they were making progress.
"Yesterday we were able to bring up the engine for the plane, and today we were able to bring up about 80% of the plane which is good progress," said Homendy. "Now we are currently searching for a few other pieces to bring up: we have the wing a portion of the horizontal stabilizer for both elevators, and the ailerons that we are looking to bring up, and we also just found the propeller and gear box that we are also bringing up."
The NTSB says one of the biggest challenges they have faced is dealing with the current.
"It’s really been difficult because when the current is really strong the ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) can’t move forward and will move around and in some cases it gets very difficult to see even with the lights and the cameras," she said. "So what has happened is we have had to bring up the ROV when it has become a challenge, and then we wait until the next slack tide, so we can put the ROV back in and do what we can in that time frame."
RELATED: NTSB locates wreckage of floatplane that crashed off Whidbey Island
Each crew works in 12-hour shifts, and they do expect to continue this work over the next few days.
On Sept. 9, crews identified an object on the seafloor using sonar, but needed to return to it to visually confirm that it was the wreckage. The agency confirmed that they located the wreckage on Sept. 12. The plane was found approximately 190 feet underwater.
The Navy is using a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) that goes down to the wreckage site on the seafloor. They will also use a barge and a crane to recover the wreckage. The crane is meant to lift the wreckage pieces and the ROV will pick up smaller bits.
Recovering the wreckage site will help investigators determine exactly what happened. However, it could take up to two years for the investigation to be completed in its entirety.
Witnesses near the accident site reported the airplane was in level flight before it entered a slight climb, then pitched down in a near-vertical descent. Several witnesses described the airplane "spinning," "rotating" or "spiraling" during portions of the descent, according to NTSB.
Tom Chapman with NTSB told FOX 13 News on Tuesday that the actual flight only lasted about 35 minutes, and the plane got no higher than about 1,000 ft in the air.
PP
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/ntsb- ... -killed-10#
ISLAND COUNTY, Wash. - Authorities say they’ve recovered 80% of a floatplane that crashed on Sept. 4 near Whidbey Island that killed all ten people on board. As of Sept. 30, a total of six victims were recovered.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the US Navy are working together to recover the wreckage.
Teams began a 24/7 operation Tuesday morning working until the wreckage is back above water. Crews are equipped with an underwater drone, a large crane and a team of specialists.
Island County Emergency Management told FOX 13 that five additional victims were recovered on Sept. 30. Gabbie Hana, a 30-year-old lawyer for an international law firm, was found shortly after the crash. So far, she has been the only body that has been identified.
The medical examiner's office has yet to release the identity of the five others found.
Chair of the NTSB Jennifer Homendy told FOX 13 News on Thursday that they were making progress.
"Yesterday we were able to bring up the engine for the plane, and today we were able to bring up about 80% of the plane which is good progress," said Homendy. "Now we are currently searching for a few other pieces to bring up: we have the wing a portion of the horizontal stabilizer for both elevators, and the ailerons that we are looking to bring up, and we also just found the propeller and gear box that we are also bringing up."
The NTSB says one of the biggest challenges they have faced is dealing with the current.
"It’s really been difficult because when the current is really strong the ROV (remotely-operated vehicle) can’t move forward and will move around and in some cases it gets very difficult to see even with the lights and the cameras," she said. "So what has happened is we have had to bring up the ROV when it has become a challenge, and then we wait until the next slack tide, so we can put the ROV back in and do what we can in that time frame."
RELATED: NTSB locates wreckage of floatplane that crashed off Whidbey Island
Each crew works in 12-hour shifts, and they do expect to continue this work over the next few days.
On Sept. 9, crews identified an object on the seafloor using sonar, but needed to return to it to visually confirm that it was the wreckage. The agency confirmed that they located the wreckage on Sept. 12. The plane was found approximately 190 feet underwater.
The Navy is using a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) that goes down to the wreckage site on the seafloor. They will also use a barge and a crane to recover the wreckage. The crane is meant to lift the wreckage pieces and the ROV will pick up smaller bits.
Recovering the wreckage site will help investigators determine exactly what happened. However, it could take up to two years for the investigation to be completed in its entirety.
Witnesses near the accident site reported the airplane was in level flight before it entered a slight climb, then pitched down in a near-vertical descent. Several witnesses described the airplane "spinning," "rotating" or "spiraling" during portions of the descent, according to NTSB.
Tom Chapman with NTSB told FOX 13 News on Tuesday that the actual flight only lasted about 35 minutes, and the plane got no higher than about 1,000 ft in the air.
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Re: Otter Down in San Juan Islands
https://www.flyingmag.com/ntsb-cites-cr ... e-accidentThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that the failure of a single component of a critical flight control is to blame for the deadly crash of a floatplane near Seattle on September 4, 2022. The 1967 de Havilland DHC-3 Turbine Otter went down in Mutiny Bay near Freeland, Washington, killing all 10 on board.
The aircraft was owned by Northwest Seaplanes and the flight operated by West Isle Air, a Part 135 operation. The aircraft was en route between Friday Harbor Seaplane Base (W33) and Renton Municipal Airport (KRNT) at the time of the accident. It was the pilot’s second flight of the day, and the accident occurred approximately 18 minutes into it.
According to the 59-page NTSB report, the ADS-B data indicates the aircraft was at an altitude between 600 and 1,000 feet msl, and the groundspeed was between 115 and 135 knots.
The aircraft was over Mutiny Bay approximately 34 miles northwest of Seattle at an altitude of about 1,000 feet when, according to ADS-B, the groundspeed decreased to 111 knots and the aircraft pitched up 8 degrees. However, according to witnesses and surveillance video, the aircraft appeared to be in level flight then suddenly pitched down, plunging into the water nose first. Investigators estimated the rate of descent to be in excess of 9,500 feet per minute. The impact was so violent that the aircraft was heavily fragmented, and the pilot and all nine passengers were killed.
The woman’s body was recovered from the water by citizens who witnessed the event. The bulk of the fuselage sank into 200 feet of water. Several government agencies, including the Coast Guard, NTSB, and U.S. Navy, spent several days searching for the wreckage. Because of strong currents and murky water, the recovery of the wreckage and the remains of the occupants took the better part of a month. Crews were able to recover approximately 85 percent of the aircraft pulled from the ocean floor.
The post accident investigation revealed the actuator to the elevator, which controls the pitch of the airplane, had become disconnected from a control linkage. According to the NTSB, this “would have made it impossible for the pilot to control the airplane’s pitch.” Based on the evidence presented, the agency concluded that the flight control failure happened before the crash, not as a result of it.
Close inspection of the wreckage revealed the lower barrel of the actuator that attaches the cable for the elevator had separated. The threads that screw the two parts together were found intact. However, a single wire lock ring used to secure the two parts together was missing.
The NTSB found that if a lock ring is not present to secure the actuator barrel and the clamp nut together, they can become separated, and the actuator would not be able to control the position of the horizontal stabilizer, resulting in a loss of airplane pitch control.
“The probable cause of this accident was the in-flight unthreading of the clamp nut from the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator barrel due to a missing lock ring, which resulted in the horizontal stabilizer moving to an extreme trailing-edge-down position rendering the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable,” the NTSB report stated.
Emergency Action
Based on this finding, on October 26, 2022, the NTSB issued an urgent recommendation to the FAA and Transport Canada to require all operators of DHC-3 airplanes to conduct an immediate inspection of the aft flight control system.
The NTSB noted that when the airplane’s design was certificated by the FAA in 1952, there was no requirement for a secondary locking device to secure flight control linkages. However, in 1996, regulations were amended to require newly designed aircraft to have a secondary locking device “if the loss [of the first device] would preclude the continued safe flight and landing.”
There was no requirement for retrofitting existing airplanes with a similar safety feature, and as such the accident airplane had only a single locking device.
Recommendations
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB recommended the FAA and Transport Canada require operators of DHC-3 airplanes to install a secondary retention feature to prevent a single point of failure in the flight control system. Additional recommendations were made to both agencies as well as to the current type certificate holder, Viking Air.
“The Mutiny Bay accident is an incredibly painful reminder that a single point of failure can lead to catastrophe in our skies,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “To adequately protect safety, we must build in the necessary redundancies across the entire aviation system. We’re calling on the Federal Aviation Administration and [its] Canadian counterparts to eliminate the safety vulnerability identified by NTSB investigators, so this kind of tragedy never happens again.”
The observer of fools in military south and north...
Re: Otter Down in San Juan Islands
Abrupt Loss of Pitch Control and Water Impact West Isle Air dba Friday Harbor Seaplanes de Havilland DHC-3, N725TH
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pag ... MA193.aspx
Investigation Details
What Happened
On September 4, 2022, about 1509 Pacific daylight time, a float-equipped airplane operated by West Isle Air as a commercial passenger air service flight abruptly pitched down and impacted the water in Mutiny Bay near Freeland, Washington, while en route to its destination. The pilot and nine passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed.
Examination of the airplane revealed that the clamp nut that attached the top eye end and bearing assembly of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator to the actuator barrel had unscrewed from the barrel. The examination also found that the circular wire lock ring, which was designed to prevent the clamp nut from unscrewing, was not present.
What We Found
We found that if a lock ring is not present to secure the actuator barrel and the clamp nut together, they can become separated, and the actuator would not be able to control the position of the horizontal stabilizer, resulting in a loss of airplane pitch control. Additionally, a secondary locking feature is not required. Requiring such a feature could provide redundancy if a lock ring is not installed, fails, or separates from the clamp nut in flight.
We also found that, to prevent environmental elements from entering the actuator, maintenance personnel installed a moisture seal between the clamp nut and the eye bolt.[1] The moisture seal, which was not approved by the airplane manufacturer in any documentation, has the potential to create interference in the clamp up of the top eye end and bearing assembly.[2] In addition, the moisture seal increased the rotational friction between the clamp nut and eye bolt, which has the potential to increase the rate of separation between the clamp nut and barrel in the absence of the lock ring.
The investigation identified maintenance documents and guidance pertaining to the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator assembly that, although found not to be;causal in this accident, could lead to errors concerning the lock ring installation. For example, maintenance documents do not currently define how many holes are allowed to be drilled into a clamp nut, specify a torque requirement for the installation of the clamp nut, instruct personnel to inspect the clamp nut lock ring hole(s) for damage before installation, or ensure that the lock ring is installed properly.
We determined that the probable cause of this accident was the in-flight unthreading of the clamp nut from the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator barrel due to a missing lock ring, which resulted in the horizontal stabilizer moving to an extreme trailing-edge-down position rendering the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable.
[1] An eye bolt is located within the eye end and bearing assembly. One end of the eye bolt is
threaded, and the opposite end (the head) is formed into a ring or eye for lifting, pulling, or securing.
[2] The term “clamp up” refers to how the adjacent parts of the assembly match up to each other
when a compressive load (in this case caused by the tightening of the clamp nut) forces them together.
What We Recommended
As a result of the investigation, we issued recommendations Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada and Viking Air.
PP
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pag ... MA193.aspx
Investigation Details
What Happened
On September 4, 2022, about 1509 Pacific daylight time, a float-equipped airplane operated by West Isle Air as a commercial passenger air service flight abruptly pitched down and impacted the water in Mutiny Bay near Freeland, Washington, while en route to its destination. The pilot and nine passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed.
Examination of the airplane revealed that the clamp nut that attached the top eye end and bearing assembly of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator to the actuator barrel had unscrewed from the barrel. The examination also found that the circular wire lock ring, which was designed to prevent the clamp nut from unscrewing, was not present.
What We Found
We found that if a lock ring is not present to secure the actuator barrel and the clamp nut together, they can become separated, and the actuator would not be able to control the position of the horizontal stabilizer, resulting in a loss of airplane pitch control. Additionally, a secondary locking feature is not required. Requiring such a feature could provide redundancy if a lock ring is not installed, fails, or separates from the clamp nut in flight.
We also found that, to prevent environmental elements from entering the actuator, maintenance personnel installed a moisture seal between the clamp nut and the eye bolt.[1] The moisture seal, which was not approved by the airplane manufacturer in any documentation, has the potential to create interference in the clamp up of the top eye end and bearing assembly.[2] In addition, the moisture seal increased the rotational friction between the clamp nut and eye bolt, which has the potential to increase the rate of separation between the clamp nut and barrel in the absence of the lock ring.
The investigation identified maintenance documents and guidance pertaining to the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator assembly that, although found not to be;causal in this accident, could lead to errors concerning the lock ring installation. For example, maintenance documents do not currently define how many holes are allowed to be drilled into a clamp nut, specify a torque requirement for the installation of the clamp nut, instruct personnel to inspect the clamp nut lock ring hole(s) for damage before installation, or ensure that the lock ring is installed properly.
We determined that the probable cause of this accident was the in-flight unthreading of the clamp nut from the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator barrel due to a missing lock ring, which resulted in the horizontal stabilizer moving to an extreme trailing-edge-down position rendering the airplane’s pitch uncontrollable.
[1] An eye bolt is located within the eye end and bearing assembly. One end of the eye bolt is
threaded, and the opposite end (the head) is formed into a ring or eye for lifting, pulling, or securing.
[2] The term “clamp up” refers to how the adjacent parts of the assembly match up to each other
when a compressive load (in this case caused by the tightening of the clamp nut) forces them together.
What We Recommended
As a result of the investigation, we issued recommendations Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Canada and Viking Air.
PP