Amateur-built DHC-2 accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, May 26, 1994
On May 26, 1994 at about 1:15 am local time, a amateur-built DHC-2, registered N6782L, was involved 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). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S ACCIDENTAL EXTENSION OF HIS HAND INTO THE ARC OF THE TURNING PROPELLER. FACTORS INCLUDE HIGH WINDS DURING THE DOCKING PROCESS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1994 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Friday Harbor, Washington · Friday Harbor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-2
- Registration
- N6782L · registry record · serial 820
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE TAXIING THE FLOAT-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE TO DOCKING, THE PILOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IGNITION, AND IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CABIN. HE THEN QUICKLY WALKED FORWARD ON ONE OF THE FLOATS IN ORDER TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM CONTACTING THE DOCK. AS HE WALKED PAST THE PROPELLER, WHICH WAS STILL TURNING, HE EXTENDED HIS HAND TO MAINTAIN BALANCE, AND THE PROPELLER IMPACTED HIS WRIST.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,414 hours in all; 511 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,332 as pilot in command; 1,212 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,109 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 12, 1994; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,370 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ORS Orcas Island WA at 1:05 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 245° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°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 N6782L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA94LA159.