Amateur-built DHC-6-300 and amateur-built DHC-6-300 accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, August 7, 1999
On August 7, 1999 at about 5:30 pm local time, 2 aircraft, amateur-built DHC-6-300 (N288SA) and amateur-built DHC-6-300 (N224SA), were involved in the same accident near Ketchikan, Alaska. No one was hurt; 34 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of ground handling personnel to verify a release procedure/directive, and removal of a second airplane's tiedown, and subsequent collision from a second airplane.
A failure of ground handling personnel to verify a release procedure/directive, and removal of the airplane's tiedown, and subsequent collision with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1999 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ketchikan, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 34 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Amateur-built DHC-6-300
- Registration
- N288SA · no longer on the register · serial 389
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
- Aircraft 2
- Amateur-built DHC-6-300
- Registration
- N224SA · registry record · serial 247
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pair of float equipped, twin engine airplanes were each parked parallel to a dock. The airplanes were separated by about eight feet, one in front of the other. Both airplanes, operated by the same company, were preparing to depart on sightseeing flights. The crew of first airplane, N288SA, was beginning a passenger briefing. The passengers were on board the airplane, but the engines had not been started. The crew of the second airplane, N224SA, had completed a briefing to their passengers, and had started the engines. N224SA was tethered to the dock by ropes attached to the floats at the forward and aft end of the airplane. Each rope was tended by a company dock handler. Due to a slight change in the manner the passengers arrived from a cruise ship, the passengers had not received a briefing booklet before boarding the airplane. A company representative approached the forward dock handler to hand the briefing booklets to the airplane crew. The aft dock handler observed this activity and mistook its meaning as a 'thumbs up' signal. He released the docking rope, allowing N224SA to begin moving forward under idle power. The and nose of N224SA collided with the tail of N288SA. N288SA received damage to the rudder and trim tab assembly. N224SA received minor damage to the left pitot tube, and the left side of the nose.
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 NTSB's narrative for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 final · quoted from the NTSB record
A pair of float equipped, twin engine airplanes were each parked parallel to a dock. The airplanes were separated by about eight feet, one in front of the other. Both airplanes, operated by the same company, were preparing to depart on sightseeing flights. The crew of first airplane, N288SA, was beginning a passenger briefing. The passengers were on board the airplane, but the engines had not been started. The crew of the second airplane, N224SA, had completed a briefing to their passengers, and had started the engines. N224SA was tethered to the dock by ropes attached to the floats at the forward and aft end of the airplane. Each rope was tended by a company dock handler. Due to a slight change in the manner the passengers arrived from a cruise ship, the passengers had not received a briefing booklet before boarding the airplane. A company representative approached the forward dock handler to hand the briefing booklets to the airplane crew. The aft dock handler observed this activity and mistook its meaning as a 'thumbs up' signal. He released the docking rope, allowing N224SA to begin moving forward under idle power. The nose of N224SA collided with the tail of N288SA. N288SA received damage to the rudder and trim tab assembly. N224SA received minor damage to the left pitot tube, and the left side of the nose.
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 for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,200 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 12,580 as pilot in command; 773 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,938 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 20, 1999; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 125,000 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Seaborne Aviation INC.
The flight
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from PAK, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 15 |
The factual record for the amateur-built DHC-6-300 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 277 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 9,800 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 34,290 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 27, 1999; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Seaborne Aviation INC.
The flight
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 15 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC99LA107.