Amateur-built DHC-3 incident near Homer, Alaska, October 27, 1982
On October 27, 1982, a amateur-built DHC-3, registered N3904, suffered minor damage in an incident near Homer, Alaska (Beluga Lake Seaplane airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 27, 1982
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · Beluga Lake Seaplane · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-3
- Registration
- N3904 · no longer on the register · serial 54
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER REMOVING THE FLOATS AND REINSTALLING THE WHEELS ON THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT RECEIVED PERMISSION TO TAKE OFF ON A ROADWAY BRIDGE THATS SPANS BELUGA LAKE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FERRY THE PLANE TO NEARBY HOMER AIRPORT. ON TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT DUE TO A WIND GUST AND WHEN THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH RIGHT BRAKE, THE NOSE TUCKED DOWN. THIS ALLOWED THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE TAKEOFF WAS CONTINUED AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT HOMER AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,563 hours in all; 145 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,078 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 16
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kachemak Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: 5BL Homer AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 5BL Homer AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3904 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.