Amateur-built DHC-6-100 accident near Tau, Aq, June 17, 1988
On June 17, 1988 at about 8:36 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-6-100, registered N202RH, was destroyed in an accident near Tau (Tau airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 15 people had minor injuries. 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 accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1988 · about 8:36 pm local time
- Place
- Tau, Aq · Tau
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 15 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6-100
- Registration
- N202RH · registry record · serial 68
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CAPTAIN, WHO WAS FLYING THE TWIN OTTER FROM THE RIGHT SEAT, ENTERED A RIGHT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING. A LEFT QUARTERING, 15 KNOT HEADWIND, WAS GUSTING ACROSS THE AIRPORT. UPON TURNING TO THE FINAL APPROACH THE CAPTAIN REDUCED THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE POWER TO THE LOW SPEED RANGE FOR THE VISUAL APPROACH. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE RUNWAY THE RATE OF DESCENT ACCELERATED. THE CAPTAIN'S APPLICATION OF FULL ENGINE POWER FAILED TO ARREST THE AIRCRAFT'S RATE OF DESCENT AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,455 hours in all; 3,393 in this make and model; 305 in the last 90 days; 14,724 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,403 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,300 lb
- Seats: 16
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Somoa Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PPG Pago Pago OF at 9:45 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 2,200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 13 |
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 LAX88LA226.