Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
https://registry.faa.gov/N68083
Location: Homer, AK
Accident Number: ANC19FA035
Date & Time: 07/19/2019, 1010 AKD
Registration: N68083
Aircraft: De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 MK.1
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 4 Minor, 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Non-scheduled
On July 19, 2019, about 1010 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped, de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) airplane, N68083, sustained substantial damage following a loss of control and impact with ocean waters about 12 miles south of Homer, Alaska. The airplane was registered to Rust Properties LLC and operated by Rust's Flying Service as a visual flight rules on-demand charter flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The airline transport pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries, one passenger was uninjured, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Tutka Bay about 1005 destined for Lake Hood Seaplane Base (PALH), Anchorage, Alaska.
During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on July 22, the pilot reported that, after loading the passengers and their baggage onboard, he started the airplane's engine and provided a passenger safety briefing. He then taxied out and initiated his takeoff water run. He stated that as the airplane was accelerating on the step, he saw the left float begin to move into his peripheral vision from the left cockpit window. He said the airplane felt as if it had "lost its rigidity" on the floats and began to "yaw" to the left. In an effort to correct for the left turning tendency, he applied right aileron, but to no avail. The left wing subsequently hit the water and the airplane lurched forward and nosed over separating the right wing from the fuselage. He said the airplane immediately began to fill with the cold ocean waters, as he struggled to exit the submerged wreckage.
During a hospital interview with the NTSB IIC, on July 22, passengers consistently reported that, after the engine was started the pilot asked them to remove their headsets while he provided the passenger safety briefing, as the airplane's intercom system was inoperable. They stated that the briefing was rushed, and difficult to hear due to engine noise. They reported choppy water conditions with one passenger reporting white caps on the ocean waves visible in the distance. The passengers said that, during the takeoff water run, the airplane impacted a swell or wave and nosed over abruptly, and the cabin rapidly filled with water. One passenger stated that he was confident that the airplane briefly became airborne prior to impact.
A witness located near the accident site observed the airplane during its water run. He said that the airplane appeared to accelerate slowly and struggle into the air. He reported that the airplane climbed to an altitude of about 50-100 ft, briefly leveled off, prior to beginning a gradual descent towards the water. He said the airplane impacted the water on the nose of the left float and immediately cart-wheeled coming to rest inverted in the ocean waters. He alerted emergency services and drove his boat to the submerged wreckage to assist with the rescue.
An Alaska State Trooper reported conditions at the accident site of seas less than 1 ft with a long wavelength and winds less than 10 knots. The Trooper recalled that while at the hospital, the pilot stated that he was taking off parallel to the swells when the airplane impacted a swell and became airborne, the left float broke and the airplane cartwheeled.
On July 20, the NTSB IIC conducted an initial examination of the wreckage, which had been removed from the ocean waters and transported to Homer. All the airplanes major components were recovered except for the right wing, right aileron and right lift strut. Flight control continuity was verified from the control yoke to the left aileron and elevators, and from the rudder pedals to the rudder. An initial examination of the Aerocet 5850 floats and their attachment rigging revealed that the front left lower tie rod attachment fitting separated, and the streamlined tie rod exhibited compression signatures near its upper attachment point. The right rear upper tie rod attachment fitting separated, and the streamlined tie rod exhibited compression signatures near its lower attach point. A detailed wreckage examination is pending.
The closest official weather observation station to the accident site was Homer Airport (PAHO), Homer, AK, located about 12 miles north of the accident site. At 0953, a METAR was reporting, in part, wind light and variable; visibility, 7 statute miles in smoke and haze; clouds and sky condition, clear; temperature, 63°F; dew point, 54°F; and an altimeter setting of 29.96 inches of mercury.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: De Havilland
Registration: N68083
Model/Series: BEAVER DHC 2 MK.1 No Series
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Rusts Flying Service
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand Air Taxi (135)
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation:
Observation Time: 1753 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 12 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 17°C / 12°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Light and Variable / , Variable
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 7 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.96 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Departure Point: Homer, AK
Destination: Anchorage, AK (PALH)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 3 Minor, 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious, 4 Minor, 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 59.469167, -151.489167 (est)
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.
3 p.m. update:
The man who died Friday as a result of a floatplane accident near Tutka Bay was the father of a family that made up the majority of passengers, according to a South Peninsula Hospital representative.
In an email, SPH Spokesperson Derotha Ferarro wrote that 57-year-old Joseph Patenella, of Maryland, was one of five passengers that made up a family unit of a mother, father and three children. They were brought to the hospital just before noon Friday after being recovered from the scene of the accident by Alaska State Troopers and the Homer Volunteer Fire Department.
The sixth passenger was a male relative, Ferraro wrote. Patenella was found to be dead upon arrival at the hospital, she wrote. One of the children was treated and released, while the other two children and their mother were flown to Providence Medical Center in Anchorage.
“The adult male relative is in stable condition and currently remains at South Peninsula Hospital,” Ferraro wrote.
The pilot, Engjell Berisha was treated and released, according to Ferraro.
2:45 p.m. update:
Alaska State Troopers have released the name of the man killed this morning in a small plane accident near the mouth of Tutka Bay.
Joseph Patenella, 57, of Maryland, died when the plane had an accident during takeoff. His next of kin have been notified, according to an online troopers dispatch report.
There were seven people total on the de Havilland Beaver aircraft — three adults and four children. Troopers report that one of the children is in critical condition and is being treated in an Anchorage hospital.
“All other passengers appear to have sustained non-life-threatening injuries,” troopers wrote in the dispatch. “The pilot was not injured.”
Troopers identified the pilot as Engjell Berisha.
Troopers from the Anchor Point post responded to the accident with members of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department aboard the trooper patrol vessel P/V Augustine. Once all people were transported from the scene of the accident to the Homer Harbor, ambulances from Homer Volunteer Fire Department, Kachemak Emergency Services and Anchor Point Emergency Services took them to South Peninsula Hospital.
An investigation is ongoing, troopers wrote in the report.
Original story:
One person has been killed and five more injured in a small plane accident near the mouth of Tutka Bay, according Alaska State Troopers.
A de Havilland Beaver aircraft had an unknown accident during takeoff Friday morning near the bay that’s across Kachemak Bay from Homer, according to Petty Officer Amanda Norcross with the U.S. Coast Guard 17th District. The Coast Guard got an initial report of a possible plane crash around 10:19 a.m., she said.
Norcross said the owners of Tutka Bay Lodge made a report to the Coast Guard that an incident happened during takeoff and that the plane never actually left the water.
There were three adults and four children on board, and it was reported to the Coast Guard that one person needed immediate medical attention.
Alaska State Troopers Public Information Officer Ken Marsh said that one person was killed in the accident.
“Another is in critical condition and has been flown to Anchorage,” he said.
Four more passengers are injured but in stable condition and remain in Homer, Marsh said. He said one out of the seven people escaped without injury.
An Alaska State Trooper vessel, the P/V Augustine, responded and got all the passengers off the plane, Norcross said. Coast Guard sector watch standers in Anchorage then requested emergency medical services to respond in Homer, she said.
“Initial reports, they stated that the aircraft was conducting a departure in the middle of the (Tutka) bay,” Norcross said.
The plane then “aborted the takeoff,” she said.
Chris Fischer, a Homer resident, was riding his bike on the Homer Spit at the time when local ambulances responded. He said he and others heard sirens while they were on the back side of the Homer Harbor, and saw ambulances staging near the harbor’s load and launch ramp.
“We figured something bad must have happened,” Fischer said.
Fischer said he waited at a bench near the ramp, and later saw a boat come in carrying passengers from the plane.
“All of a sudden there was a rush of activity,” he said. “… A boat came tearing in (to the harbor).”
Fischer said he saw at least five people taken off the boat and transported away by ambulance.
“It was an impressive display from the first responders,” he said.
The plane is registered to a corporation in Anchorage, according to its online tail number registration.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.homernews.com
One person is dead and at least four people are injured after a floatplane carrying seven people crashed near the mouth of Tutka Bay near Homer on Friday.
The plane, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, was attempting a departure in the middle of the bay around 10:12 a.m. when it crashed during takeoff. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Amanda Norcross said the plane never left the water.
The plane was carrying four adults and three children, according to Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Ken Marsh. He said the plane was planning to go to Anchorage.
According to the South Peninsula Hospital, five of the passengers made up an immediate family of a mother, father and three children. The two additional adults on the plane were a man who was related to the family and the pilot.
The mother and two of the children were medevaced to Providence Medical Center in Anchorage. One of those children is in critical condition, according to Marsh.
The third child and the pilot, identified as Engjell Berisha, were treated and released from the hospital. A hospital spokesperson says the relative is still at the hospital in Homer but is in stable condition.
The father, identified as 57-year-old Joseph Patenella of Maryland, died before making it to the hospital.
The plane is registered to Rust Properties, LLC. All passengers on board the plane were guests at the Tutka Bay Lodge, the manager told the USCG.
A joint statement from Rust's Flying Service and Tutka Bay Lodge was released on Friday evening. It reads:
“We are devastated by the news of the loss of life suffered in this incident. Our hearts go out to our guests and their family. Our focus is on assisting our guests, their family and loved ones, the pilot, our staffs and first responders during this active crisis response. We’d also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders, the Homer Volunteer Fire Department, Anchor Point Emergency Services, Kachemak Emergency Services and the community of Homer for their support and rescue efforts.”
The flying service has suspended its operations and is "cooperating fully with the Alaska State Troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities involved," the release said.
Details on how the plane crash are still under investigation.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.ktva.com
 |
| Pilot Engjell Berisha |
The Alaska State Troopers identified the man as 57-year-old Joseph Patenella from Maryland.
The hospital reports that a family, including a father, mother, and three children were on board the plane, as well as another adult male relative. Patenella was pronounced deceased when he arrived at the hospital.
According to dispatch recordings from the Homer Volunteer Fire Department, the man was being administered CPR at about 10:30 a.m. due to "unknown injuries" as he was being transported on a boat from Tutka Bay to Homer.
The mother and two children were flown to Providence Medical Center in Anchorage, while another child was treated and released in Homer. One of the children medevacked to Anchorage is in "critical condition," according to troopers.
The pilot, identified as Engjell Berisha, unrelated to the other passengers, was treated and released.
The adult male relative is in stable condition at the South Peninsula Hospital.
The Coast Guard says that the plane involved was a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 MK.1 Beaver operated by Rust's Flying Service that aborted its take-off. Photos show that the plane overturned and was lying floats up in the water.
Rust's Flying Service and Tutka Bay Lodge put out a joint statement on Friday evening saying that they are suspending operations:
“We are devastated by the news of the loss of life suffered in this incident. Our hearts go out to our guests and their family. Our focus is on assisting our guests, their family and loved ones, the pilot, our staffs and first responders during this active crisis response. We’d also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders, the Homer Volunteer Fire Department, Anchor Point Emergency Services, Kachemak Emergency Services and the community of Homer for their support and rescue efforts,” they say in the release.
The Coast Guard says the Tutka Bay Lodge manager told them the plane didn’t even leave the water.
The Coast Guard says a Good Samaritan ship picked up the passengers before officials responded.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.ktuu.com
A Maryland man is dead and one of his children is in critical condition after a Friday morning floatplane crash near the mouth of Tutka Bay, across Kachemak Bay from Homer.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 MK.1 Beaver was carrying a pilot and six passengers — two men, one woman and three children — when it crashed “under unknown circumstances” as it was taking off from Tutka Bay Lodge, authorities said.
The plane never actually left the water, said Petty Officer Amanda Norcross of the U.S. Coast Guard 17th District. Norcross said the crash was reported around 10:19 a.m. Friday.
The plane was operated by Rust’s Flying Service, said Ken Marsh, a spokesman for the Alaska State Troopers. The Anchorage-based company, which contracts with the remote lodge for transportation and flightseeing tours, said it has suspended operations and is cooperating with authorities involved in the investigation.
Five of the passengers were members of the same immediate family and the sixth was an adult male relative, said Derotha Ferraro, a spokeswoman for South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, where the plane’s occupants were initially treated.
The family was from Maryland; they were guests of the lodge and their plane was destined for Anchorage at the time, Marsh said.
Joseph Patanella, the 57-year-old father of the three children, was killed in the crash, Marsh said.
Two of his children, along with their mother, were flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, according to Ferraro. One of the children was in critical condition, troopers said.
The pilot, Engjell Berisha, wasn’t injured, Marsh said. He was treated and released from the hospital.
The remaining child was also treated and released, and the male relative of the family was in stable condition at South Peninsula Hospital, Ferraro said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
“We are devastated by the news of the loss of life suffered in this incident. Our hearts go out to our guests and their family,” Rust’s Flying Service and Tutka Bay Lodge said in a joint statement. “Our focus is on assisting our guests, their family and loved ones, the pilot, our staffs and first responders during this active crisis response.”
Rust’s is a family business founded in 1963 that is the oldest and largest seaplane operator on Lake Hood, according to the company website. The family also owns K2 Aviation in Talkeetna.
The Rusts operate 22 aircraft between the two companies.
The crash of a K2 flightseeing plane near Denali last August killed all five people aboard the de Havilland Beaver. An NTSB report on the probable cause of that crash has yet to be released.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.adn.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Maryland man visiting Alaska with his family was killed and one of his three children was critically injured Friday after their floatplane’s takeoff was aborted.
Alaska State Troopers identified the deceased man as Joseph Patenella, 57. No hometown was disclosed. The critically hurt child was flown to Anchorage for treatment, along with two other family members.
The incident occurred with seven people on board the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 MK.1 Beaver at the mouth of Tutka Bay near Homer.
The others on board appear to have non-life-threatening injuries, troopers said.
Patenella was traveling with his wife and three children as well as an adult male relative, according to officials at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer. Reports initially said there were four children on board.
Hospital spokeswoman Derotha Ferraro said Patenella was deceased on arrival at the facility.
The mother, the critically injured child and a second child were flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Ferraro said. Their conditions were not immediately available.
“The relative remains in the Homer hospital in stable condition,” Ferraro said in a statement.
The third child and the pilot were treated and released, Ferraro said. Troopers, however, say the pilot, Engjell Berisha, was not injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane crashed under unknown circumstances on takeoff. Coast Guard Petty Officer Amanda Norcross, however, said the manager of a nearby lodge reported the aircraft never left the water.
Troopers said a trooper patrol boat transported all on board to Homer, where the injured people were taken to the local hospital.
FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said his agency and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
The plane is owned by Anchorage-based Rust’s Flying Service. A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately comment on the incident.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://baltimore.cbslocal.com
Yet another pilot failure in Alaska. SMDH.
ReplyDeletePeople save money for years for the opportunity to come here (Alaska) for their dream vacation and often, these trips include flightseeing and air taxi via float planes. They don't realize just how dangerous it is. And the air carriers prefer it that way.
ReplyDeleteTime and again, it's pilot error that causes a majority of these fatal crashes. In this case, yet another rushed safety debriefing by the pilot in advance of the flight; yet another pilot whose report of the conditions to AST and NTSB differs from witnesses on the water and within the plane; yet another DHC Beaver involved; yet another pilot whose qualifications to fly the DHC Beaver is questionable; yet another passenger killed, in the presence of family members.