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| Date: | Monday 5 January 1970 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 |
| Owner/operator: | Air Capital International |
| Registration: | N93985 |
| MSN: | 265 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6A-27 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial, repaired |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tau Island -
 American Samoa
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Honolulu, HI (HNL) |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa (PPG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Due to strong head winds, the Twin Otter ran out of fuel and made a forced landing on Tau Island. Aircraft was on a delivery flight to Australia for TAA.
It encountered stronger than anticipated upper level headwinds, suffered fuel exhaustion and consequent engine failure. The pilot, the sole occupant, landed the aircraft on a beach on Lau Island, hitting rocks.
The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft suffered substantial damage and therefore was not accepted by Trans Australia Airlines.
The wreckage was moved by barge and subsequently rebuilt.
PROBABLE CAUSE(S):
pilot in command - inadequate preflight preparation and/or planning
pilot in command - improper compensation for wind conditions
pilot in command - improper in-flight decisions or planning
weather - adverse winds aloft
miscellaneous acts,conditions - fuel exhaustion
miscellaneous acts,conditions - failure of two or more engines
terrain - rough/uneven
Accident investigation:
|
Sources:
https://twinotterarchive.com/DHC-6_265.html
NTSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 1 February 2024 | C-FATM | Air Tindi | 0 | 23 nm NE of Hay River Airport, NT (YHY/CYHY) |  |
unk |
| Engine failure | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Feb-2025 03:43 | Ron Averes | Added |
| 20-Feb-2025 03:46 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 20-Feb-2025 07:37 | ASN | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 20-Feb-2025 13:51 | ASN | Updated [Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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