DH3 Otter Sept 4, 2022
 

An Otter float plane has crashed in Puget Sound north of Seattle with 10 persons aboard. Looks like no survivors. Cause unclear at this time.

Otter crash

Could have been weather related
 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...pdate-15356684


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1e95f97dd3.jpg

Plane could have been caught in turbulence or even a microburst that could have directly caused the crash or caused structural breakup. Plane was 55 years old and operated in salt water conditions.

Search for the missing 9 people officially suspended.

"An inexperienced seaplane passenger" being concerned about turbulence while "the pilot looked relaxed" and "other passengers were calm" does not indicate severe turbulence.

Looks like relatives of a Broadway and television actress are among the dead. Condolences to all involved.

Megan Hilty relatives dead

Though there is no physical evidence yet available, here is one possible scenario, as set out by Dan Gryder.

According to Flight Radar the plane came down at almost 8,000 feet per minute, from 1,500 feet that would be about 12 seconds.
IF that is the case something important must have fallen off the Otter.
I flew seaplanes in salt water, didn't like it a bit, quit after 6 months.

If I was an Otter operator, I'd be having a very close look at the pitch trim and elevator linkages.

NTSB will likely pull it up to have a close look for missing and broken pieces in the control runs. I don't know about the water depth, but there's considerable tidal currents that will complicate and likely prolong salvage.

Given that witnesses say the aircraft pretty much dove into the water at speed, it may be tricky determining what broke before it hit the water vs. impact damage. Especially after it's been sitting on the bottom of Puget Sound for a while.

NTSB media briefing today 18:30 PDT.

It's being reported that the wreckage has been located in ~190 ft. of water. Conditions are rather nasty - 3 to 5 knot current, with poor visibility. At least for the time being they plan to do the recover with remotely operated equipment.

Recovery underway - reportedly ~80% of the wreckage (and some bodies) recovered.

Bodies, majority of wreckage recovered from Whidbey Island plane crash | The Seattle Times

Flying Magazine

AD can be downloaded here:

https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExte...lOpened%3Dtrue

Inspection required within 10 hours or three days.
I wonder why inspection of the right-hand elevator is not required.

The left elevator has a trim tab that moves dependent on flap selection, connected mechanically to the flaps, normal pitch trim is by means of the usual hand wheel that alters tailplane incidence.

An interesting review of Otter loss-of-control accidents:

https://www.aviationlawgroup.com/ott...tch-movements/

The article states that the elevator tabs are servo tabs.

I've found a copy of the POH online and it confirms Megan's observation that the left "trim" tab is adjusted during flap selection. The POH does not specifically mention that the tabs are servo tabs, except in a "walk-around" illustration.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....32051427a6.png
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....370a4ad621.png
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....29119a2624.png


https://www.manualslib.com/manual/12...c-3-Otter.html

Well done Aviation Week! :ugh:


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ca973cd22.jpeg


https://aviationweek.com/business-av...d-dhc-3-otters

Typical for mainstream media, embarrassing for a magazine like Aviation Week. Based on their publication coverage, I suspect they have new, fashionable hiring practices that lead to this. Not so bad when it is a picture in an airplane magazine, how do you like it for your pilots.

Ask Atlas Air about their Houston 767 crash.