Amateur-built BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1 accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, June 2, 1991
On June 2, 1991 at about 10:25 pm local time, a amateur-built BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1, registered N21LU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington (Friday Harbor airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT DID NOT MAINTAIN A PROPER CLEARANCE FROM AN OBJECT, THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE WIND CONDITIONS, AND DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1991 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built BEAVER DHC-2 MK.1 BEAVER DHC
- Registration
- N21LU · no longer on the register · serial 6617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE TAKE OFF WATER RUN IN A FLOATPLANE, WITH A CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT AT 20 KNOTS, THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF AND ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF NO MORE THAN 15 FEET, WHEN THE PILOT OPTED TO ABORT THE TAKE OFF. JUST AS THE PILOT REDUCED POWER, THE LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH A MOORED TUG BOAT.
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; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,200 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,292 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 22, 1991; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,110 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 AN14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lake Union Air Service
The flight
- Destination: WA57 Seattle WA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.
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.