Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 in the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1995 at 0515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N37ST
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oakland – Honolulu – Majuro – Suva – Auckland
MSN:
207
YOM:
1969
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
1100
Captain / Total hours on type:
200.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed overweight for a 17-hour ferry flight. Early in the flight the crew experienced some fuel problems and decided to continue when they resolved the problem. The crew indicated the en route winds were close to forecast. The ferry fuel system is a simple 5- tank gravity fuel feed into the fore and aft main tanks. About 6 hours from destination, they realized the ferry tanks were not flowing into the main tanks as planned. They began manually transferring fuel from the rear ferry tank to the forward ferry tank, and shut down the right engine to reduce fuel consumption. This did not stop the negative fuel flow from the main tanks. At the time of ditching, the crew estimated the fuel remaining in the ferry tanks was about 170 gallons, most of which was in the 3 aft ferry tanks. An aero engineer calculated that the aircraft was at least 10 inches behind the maximum aft cg at the time of ditching, and suggested that the ferry fuel system was not managed to maintain the cg within the allowable limits, a task made more difficult with the rear fuselage cargo.
Probable cause:
Intentional ditching due to the flightcrew's failure to properly manage the fuel system, and operation of the airplane in an excessively overweight condition.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Kathmandu: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1995 at 1359 LT
Operator:
Registration:
9N-ABI
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kathmandu - Rumjatar
MSN:
392
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
RA133
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll on runway 20 at Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport, the aircraft failed to get airborne, overran, went through a fence and came to rest in a field. A passenger and a pilot were killed while all other occupants were rescued.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew was composed by two captains. For unknown reasons, the pilot-in-command decided to abort the takeoff procedure but the crew failed to coordinate this decision. At the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft was 60 kilos above MTOW.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 off Rinca Island: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1995
Operator:
Registration:
PK-NUK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bima - Ruteng
MSN:
390
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
MZ6715
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
En route from Bima to Ruteng, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Control was lost and the aircraft crashed in the Molo Strait off Rinca Island. All 14 occupants were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 310 in Bili

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1995
Operator:
Registration:
P2-IAA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bili - Bili
MSN:
244
YOM:
1969
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training flight at Bili Airfield. During the takeoff roll on a grassy airstrip, the crew lost control of the airplane that veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 near Selbang: 28 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1994 at 1320 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P2-MFS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tabubil - Selbang
MSN:
187
YOM:
1968
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
28
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Tabubil and a regular schedule flight to Selbang, carrying 26 passengers and two pilots. After passing over Olsobip, the crew encountered poor visibility due to clouds. While flying at an altitude of 6,400 feet in clouds, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located about 9 km south of Selbang. The aircraft was destroyed and all 28 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the cloud layer was reported from 4,000 to 10,000 feet.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 at Rothera Station: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1994 at 0301 LT
Operator:
Registration:
C-GKBD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rothera - Terra Nova Bay
MSN:
314
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
3984
Captain / Total hours on type:
3414.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3180
Copilot / Total hours on type:
448
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Rothera Station runway 18 on a charter flight to Terra Nova, carrying two passengers and two pilots. During initial climb, the airplane became unstable and rolled side to side. From a height of about 100 feet, it stalled and crashed on the slope of an iceberg facing the airport, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty as rescuers and investigators were unable to reach the crash site that was unstable and too dangerous. The stall occurred at a too low altitude to expect recovery.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 on Mt Deyjay: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1994
Operator:
Registration:
PK-YNM
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Nabire - Obano
MSN:
55
YOM:
1967
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was completing a charter flight from Nabire to Obano, carrying two passengers and two pilots on behalf of the Nabire Bakti Mining Company. While approaching the destination, the crew encountered clouds when the aircraft collided with Mt Deyjay (2,115 metres high) located about 8 km southwest of Obano. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 in the Fish Egg Inlet: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1994 at 1148 LT
Operator:
Registration:
C-FDMR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fish Egg Inlet - Pruth Bay
MSN:
36
YOM:
1967
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
11725
Captain / Total hours on type:
4000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2500
Copilot / Total hours on type:
150
Circumstances:
The captain, first officer, and two passengers departed from the Fish Egg Inlet logging camp, located 56 nautical miles (nm) north of Port Hardy, British Columbia, for a 16 nm visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Pruth Bay. This was the second leg of a flight which had originated at Port Hardy. The first officer, who occupied the left pilot seat and was handling the controls, taxied the aircraft a short distance away from the dock and took off. The captain occupied the right pilot seat. As the aircraft climbed through 100 feet, and just as the flaps were retracting, the aircraft pitched up violently and stalled. The pilots were unable to regain control of the aircraft, and it crashed into the water about 100 feet from the shore and sank immediately. The captain, who sustained serious injuries from the crash, escaped from the wreckage and swam to shore. The first officer and the two passengers remained in the aircraft and drowned. When the aircraft failed to arrive at Pruth Bay, personnel from Pacific Coastal Airlines (the company) notified the Rescue Coordination Centre and started their own search. A search pilot spotted debris in the water near the logging camp at about 1430 Pacific daylight saving time (PDT) that day. He landed to investigate, found the captain on the shore nearby, and transported him to the Port Hardy hospital. The accident occurred during daylight hours at approximately 1148 PDT, at latitude 51°36'N and longitude 127°41'W. There were no witnesses, other than the aircraft captain, to this accident.
Probable cause:
The down elevator control cable failed at station 376 due to corrosion, and, as a result, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The corrosion was not detected by the maintenance personnel during the aircraft's last cable inspection.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Abuja: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 13, 1994 at 1155 LT
Operator:
Registration:
5N-ATQ
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Lagos - Abuja
MSN:
538
YOM:
1977
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While descending to Abuja-Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, heavy rain falls and moderate to severe turbulences. As the ILS was out of calibration, the crew decided to perform a VOR/DME approach but following a misunderstanding of the VOR location, the crew started the final approach prematurely. Too low, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 12,2 km short of runway 22. Two people survived while three others were killed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who initiated the descent prematurely, causing the aircraft to descend too low too early. Poor weather conditions were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Ambato: 17 killed

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1994
Operator:
Registration:
FAE450
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Taura - Latacunga
MSN:
436
YOM:
1974
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
En route from Taura to Latacunga, the crew was cleared to climb to FL155 when, at an altitude of 13,400 feet, the twin engine aircraft stuck the slope of Mt Lozan shrouded in clouds. All 17 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 100 metres below the summit.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.