Crashes in Ketchikan - anyone with knowledge?

bflynn

Final Approach
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
9,543
Location
KTTA
Display Name

Display name:
Brian Flynn
Was looking for more information about what happened in Ketchikan. There is way too much fluff information on Google, so I figured I'd turn to the experts and maybe even someone who flies out of there. Selfishly, we will be there in August on a cruise and I'd like to understand the risks better. Also, if there's someone here who flies those flights, let me know, we'll talk booking direct.

My take right now is that it's just a really busy place and fate finally caught up with the big sky theory. But it also seem like maybe there's a bit of a free for all going on, with no commonly agreed to rules about arrivals and departures, aka, a normal busy pilot controlled airport.

PM is fine if you won't want a public post.
 
The first midair was failure to see and avoid, with the Otter descending into the other plane, and some have speculated that the lousy downward vision from the long-snooted turbine Otter may have contributed. The second crash appeared to be a water landing flip in a straight-float plane. I don't know the weather conditions at the time.

If you are looking for background on the two operations involved, the accident records are available, and one of the two operators in the first accident has ceased ops.
 
another post here linked a newer news article on the second accident that stated "winds around 10 knots" and "caught a float" in their article, if I recall correctly.
 
The Ketchikan terminal area is SFAR rules area and there are well defined routes and patterns.

For tours:
Steve at Seawind Aviation
Michelle at Island Wings
Cos at Southeast Aviation

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
If you are looking for background on the two operations involved, the accident records are available, and one of the two operators in the first accident has ceased ops.

Because one of the operators was single pilot and he’s dead now?

Ketchikan is a busy place, and the law of averages caught up unfortunately - it was 2013 the last time they had a fatal in KTN.
 
Preliminary for the midair is out.

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/R...tID=20190514X70427&AKey=2&RType=HTML&IType=MA

"Preliminary flight track data revealed the DHC-3 was traveling southwest about 3,700 ft mean sea level (msl) and gradually descending at 126 knots (kts) when it crossed the east side of the George Inlet. The DHC-2 was traveling west/southwest about 3,350 ft msl at 107 kts when it crossed the east side of the George Inlet. The airplanes collided about 3,350 ft msl near the west side of the George Inlet, east of Mahoney Lake, and data signals were lost. "

Ron Wanttaja
 
I've seen several hit pieces online saying Taquan Air should be shut down, that corporate culture is flawed, and so on.

As @Kenny Phillips noted, the long nose of the Otter could have masked that pilot's view of the Beaver.

From the above NTSB release, it seems likely the pilot of the Beaver never saw the Otter as it over took his aircraft descending from his right rear quarter.

The tragic coincidence of the second crash has no relationship to the first, and IMO cannot be linked to any omission or negligence by Taquan Air. I don't have a seaplane rating, and I've never flown in one. That being said, I can imagine a scenario where a careful and experienced pilot could "hook" a float in a swell and lead to flipping the plane.

I feel bad for all involved, and certainly regret the loss of life. I don't know many facts about Taquan Air, but I want to believe they are responsible operators and the crashes were the vagaries of probability.
 
Back
Top