De Havilland DHC-6 Safety Record

the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of power in the right engine due to the fracturing of compressor turbine blades for undetermined reasons. Contributing to some parachutists' injuries was the lack of a more effective restraint system on the airplane.

the King Air pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision in that he failed to remain in the agreed on formation position, resulting in one of his skydiver's contacting the propeller of the de Havilland airplane. A contributing factor was the lack of total experience of both pilots in multiengine formation air drop flights.

the pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC conditions, by failing to maintain altitude, and descending from VFR conditions into IMC, which resulted in him subsequently impacting with trees. Factors in this accident were: reduced visibility due to dark night and fog. An additional factor was the pilot was not certified for instrument flight.

THE PARACHUTIST'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES ON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. A FACTOR WAS THE PARACHUTIST'S INCAPACITATION DUE TO HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE DOORWAY FLOOR.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S INADVERTENT FEATHERING OF THE WRONG PROPELLER FOLLOWING AN ENGINE POWER LOSS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR TO ASSURE THAT THE PILOT WAS PROVIDED WITH ADEQUATE TRAINING IN THE AIRPLANE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: WATER CONTAMINATION OF FUEL IN THE AIRPORT STORAGE TANKS, THE OPERATOR'S LACK OF FUEL QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES, IMPROPER FUEL SERVICING, IMPROPER PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT(S), AND EXCEEDING THE GROSS WEIGHT/FORWARD CG LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE.

THE AIRPLANE'S CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN AS A RESULT OF THE DECISION OF THE CAPTAIN TO CONTINUE FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AT NIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), WHICH OBSCURED RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL, TRAINING, AND OPERATIONS BY ALOHA ISLANDAIR MANAGEMENT AND INSUFFICIENT OVERSIGHT OF ALOHA ISLANDAIR BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION PARTICULARILY DURING A PERIOD OF RAPID OPERATIONAL EXPANSION. (REF: NTSB/AAR-90/05)

THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY MISUSED THE FLAPS, BY FAILING TO SET THE FLAPS TO THE PROPER SETTING. THE FLAPS WERE SET FULL DOWN. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH UP STEEPLY AFTER LIFTOFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE FLIGHT CONTROL LOCK WAS PROBABLY INSTALLED DURING SOME PORTION, IF NOT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT, WHICH PREVENTED FLIGHT CONTROL OPERATION. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE FLYING SPEED AND THE AIRCRAFT STALLED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE PILOT'S INATTENTION AND HIS FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY USE THE CHECKLIST.