Dehavilland DHC 6 TWIN OTTER accident near Fentress, Texas, April 9, 2016
On April 9, 2016 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1966 Dehavilland DHC 6 TWIN OTTER, registered N122PM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Fentress, Texas (Fentress Airpark airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the aborted landing in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2016 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fentress, Texas · Fentress Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dehavilland DHC 6 TWIN OTTER 1, built 1966 · all DHC 6 TWIN OTTERs on the register
- Registration
- N122PM · registry record · serial 15
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was landing in gusty crosswind conditions following a parachute jump flight, and that the gusty conditions had persisted for the previous 10 skydiving flights that day. The pilot further reported that during the landing roll, when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane became "unstable" and veered to the left. He reported that he applied right rudder and added power to abort the landing, but the airplane departed the runway to the left and the left wing impacted a tree. The airplane spun 180 degrees to the left and came to rest after the impact with the tree. The left wing was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 13, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 53,624 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 17, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 10,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6-28 (R) (turboprop); 14,706 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6-28 (L) (turboprop); 14,982 hours total
- Operator: Dilkara Leasing LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: XS90 Fentress TX at 9:40 pm
- Destination: XS90 Fentress TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from KHYI, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 GAA16CA184.