Accident de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Vazar Turbine Otter N888KA,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 323689

Date:	Friday 20 August 1999
Time:	13:50
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Vazar Turbine Otter
Owner/operator:	Ketchum Air Service
Registration:	N888KA
MSN:	106
Year of manufacture:	1956
Total airframe hrs:	3712 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	48 km W of Port Alsworth, AK - United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	Tutna Lake, AK
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
At the beginning of the takeoff water run from a remote lake, the hydraulically actuated flaps were retracted from the fully extended (takeoff) to 1/2 position. The pilot said the airplane came up 'on step' normally, and he then attempted to pump the flaps to the fully extended position. The airplane did not become airborne, and he realized the flap selector handle was in the 'up,' not 'down,' position. The airplane struck the four feet high bank at the end of the lake, separating the floats. The pilot initially indicated he forgot to switch the flap selector handle to 'down.' He later stated he thought he had positioned it correctly, but his shirt sleeve may have snagged the handle and repositioned it.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the trailing edge flaps during the takeoff run."

Accident investigation: