Country
Canada

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 in Paulatuk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1983 at 1310 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Inuvik Coastal Airways
Registration:
C-FGJK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Inuvik - Paulatuk
MSN:
213
YOM:
1969
Location:
Paulatuk
Northwest Territories
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On approach to Paulatuk Airport, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions with strong cross winds and blowing snow. On short final, while making a transition from visual to instruments flight rules, the pilot decided to initiate a go-around when the left wing struck the ground. Out of control, the aircraft veered to the left and came to rest. The pilot and a passenger were killed while 10 other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The Paulatuk aerodrome runway is not oriented to correspond with the prevailing winds,
- Environment Canada does not produce an aerodrome forecast for Paulatuk,
- As the aircraft landed, the crosswind from the right increased appreciably reducing visibility in blowing snow,
- During the overshoot, as the pilot was making the transition from visual to instrument flight conditions, control of the aircraft was lost,
- The aircraft was overloaded by 840 lbs.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Landsdowne House: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1983
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
C-GTLA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sandy Lake – Landsdowne House – Thunder Bay
MSN:
632
YOM:
1979
Location:
Landsdowne House
Ontario
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The Twin Otter was completing a schedule service from Sandy Lake to Thunder Bay with an intermediate stop in Landsdowne House, carrying five passengers and two pilots. On approach, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions and the captain decided to initiate a go-around procedure. A second circuit was completed without losing sight of the airfield. During the second attempt to land, the pilot-in-command reported 'runway in sight' and the copilot called for radioaltimer at 200 feet altitude. On short final, the captain reported he was encountering whiteout conditions when the airplane struck the snow-covered and icy surface of the lake about 1,200 feet short of runway threshold. Upon impact, the nose gear was torn off then the aircraft struck rocky terrain and eventually came to rest in flames about 600 feet short of runway. A passenger was seriously injured while both pilots escaped with minor injuries. Four passengers were killed in the accident.
Probable cause:
The accident occurred during a visual approach in reduced visibility and difficult weather conditions (white conditions). Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident resulting in a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Lonkin: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1983
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
XY-AEE
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lonkin - Myitkyina
MSN:
512
YOM:
1976
Location:
Lonkin
Kachin State
Country:
Myanmar
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Lonkin Airport, while in initial climb, the crew initiated a turn to the left when the left engine failed. The airplane lost height, struck trees and crashed few hundred meters from the runway end. Five passengers were seriously injured while nine other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Bamako: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1983
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
TZ-ACH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
394
YOM:
1973
Location:
Bamako
Bamako City District
Country:
Mali
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
On final approach to Bamako-Senou Airport, the twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Niéla, about 5 km short of runway. All seven occupants were killed.

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

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1983 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
G-STUD
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Aberdeen - Flotta
MSN:
545
YOM:
1977
Location:
Flotta
Orkney
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
9010
Captain / Total hours on type:
1503.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
184
Copilot / Total hours on type:
100
Aircraft flight hours:
7000
Circumstances:
Strong winds were reported at Flotta as the Twin Otter approached Orkney Island. The aircraft first contacted the airport at 11:56, and was informed that the surface wind was indicating 260°/26 knots. The pilot accordingly elected to make a straight in approach to runway 35. The pilot preferred the cross-wind to come from his left-hand side, so that he could 'see' the left main wheel onto the runway. The aircraft touched down left main wheel first, then on the right main wheel and, as the nosewheel touched, the commander selected reverse thrust from the propellers. As the aircraft touched down, the audible stall warning sounded momentarily. Shortly after reverse thrust from the propellers had been selected and achieved, the aircraft’s left wing started to rise. The captain applied full left wing down aileron and full left rudder, then cancelling reverse thrust from the right-hand propeller and increasing forward power on that engine. However, he was still unable to prevent the left wing from rising further. The right-hand wing-tip contacted the ground, the aircraft yawed to the right and then fell back momentarily onto the main wheels before ‘cartwheeling’ through an aerodrome boundary fence and coming to rest on its left side, with both wings detached. All 12 occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by a loss of control, shortly after touchdown, following a strong lateral gust which was in excess of the maximum cross-wind capability of the aircraft. The lack of accurate surface wind information at the runway threshold was a contributory factor.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Shashgow Ghazni: 19 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1983
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
YA-GAZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tarinkot - Kabul
MSN:
395
YOM:
1974
Location:
Shashgow Ghazni
Ghazni
Country:
Afghanistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
After departure from Tarinkot (Urozgan) Airport bound for Kabul, weather conditions deteriorated. The crew decided to climb to an altitude of 18,500 feet under VFR mode. While flying in poor weather conditions, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed on the slope of a mountain located in Shashgow Ghazni. All 19 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after the crew continued under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions. It was also determined that the crew suffered physical impairment due to a lack of oxygen while flying at high altitude.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 near Bétérou

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1983
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
TY-BBL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
737
YOM:
1981
Location:
Bétérou
Borgou
Country:
Benin
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Koko, in the region of Bétérou. There were no casualties.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Hailey

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1983 at 1102 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Registration:
N361V
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Boise - Hailey
MSN:
361
YOM:
1973
Flight number:
SPA868
Location:
Hailey-Friedman Memorial
Idaho
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
12000
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
275
Copilot / Total hours on type:
100
Aircraft flight hours:
4767
Circumstances:
About 1100 mst, on February 15,1983, a Sierra Pacific Airlines DHC-6, operating as Transwestern Flight 868, crashed during its final approach to a landing on runway 31, 1.7 mile south of the Friedman Memorial Airport at Hailey, Idaho. Flight 868 was a regularly scheduled commuter passenger flight between Boise and Hailey, Idaho. There were two flightcrew members and six passengers on board the flight. One passenger escaped with minor injuries, but all the other occupants sustained serious injuries in the accident. There was no fire. About 800 feet above the small town of Bellevue, 2 miles south of the airport, the captain reduced power in order to configure the airplane for its final approach. Immediately afterward, the captain realized that he had lost eleva control of the airplane. The airplane nosed over and descended steeply. The captain attempted to control the pitch of the airplane by adding power; it began to recover but it crash landed on a highway in a slight nosedown attitude, with the right wing slightly down The airplane then veered off the highway, struck a 4-foot-high snowbank, and broke apart.
Probable cause:
The in-flight loss of elevator control following separation of the control rod from the torque tube at a connection where the company's maintenance department had used a non-standard, unsecured bolt, which the company's inspection department had failed to detect. Contributing to the accident was the company's failure to maintain the separation of maintenance and inspection functions required by the maintenance program approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, and the failure of the FAA to detect the company's deviation from approved maintenance procedures during surveillance inspection.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 in Libya

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1982
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
Operator:
Libyan Government
Registration:
5A-DCW
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
639
YOM:
1979
Location:
Libya
All Libya
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered an accident somewhere in Libya in 1982. Exact date unknown. The aircraft was operated by the Libyan Ministry for Agriculture.
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