2010 Alaska DHC-3 crash

2010 aviation accident in Alaska March 2012 N455A_Wreckage_Two.jpg Wreckage of the aircraft Accident 2010 08 09 Controlled flight into terrain in low visibility due to pilot error Near Aleknagik 59 19 46 N 158 22 52 W type:event inline,title de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Turbo Otter Texas Turbined.jpg N455A, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 2005 GCI N455A Nerka Lake, Alaska HRM Sports camp, Nushagak River, Alaska 9 8 1 5 4 4 On August 9, 2010, a privately operated de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter amphibious floatplane crashed near Aleknagik, Alaska, killing five of the nine people on board. The fatalities included former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, while the survivors included former Administrator of NASA and then-CEO of EADS North America Sean O'Keefe, his son, and future Deputy Administrator of NASA James Morhard.Reports: Former Sen. Ted Stevens in Alaska Plane Crash https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/reports-ted-stevens-in-alaska-plane-crash.html PBS Newshour 10 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100811002410/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/08/reports-ted-stevens-in-alaska-plane-crash.html August 11, 2010 dead mdy Ex-NASA chief O'Keefe survives Alaska crash that killed Stevens http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/08/ex-nasa-chief-okeefe-survives-alaska-crash-that-killed-stevens/1 USA Today August 10, 2010 10 August 2010Rescuers At Ted Stevens Alaska Crash Site https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/10/129106215/alaska-ted-stevens-sean-o-okeefe-crash NPR August 10, 2010 10 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100811083015/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/10/129106215/alaska-ted-stevens-sean-o-okeefe-crash August 11, 2010 live mdy The aircraft, a single-engine de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter registered to GCI, crashed on a mountainside while on a flight between two fishing lodges. Stevens and O'Keefe had been on a fishing trip. The wreckage was quickly located after an aerial search, but rescue efforts were hampered by poor weather.Halsey, Ashley III and Lonnae O'Neal Parker. "The Waiting: Survivors of the Ted Stevens plane crash in Alaska wondered if help would reach them in time." The Washington Post. Sunday November 28, 2010. 3. Retrieved on November 24, 2010. Accident The floatplane crashed at around 2:30 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time (UTC-8), 10 mi km northwest of Aleknagik.http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/6387-gci-executive-recalls-plane-crash-that-killed-ted-stevens "GCI executive recalls plane crash that killed Ted Stevens" – Alaska Dispatch alaskadispatch.com December 14, 2010 August 14, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100823150644/http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/6387-gci-executive-recalls-plane-crash-that-killed-ted-stevens August 23, 2010 dead mdy-all After it was reported that the aircraft had not landed as scheduled, other pilots launched a search and located the wreckage on a 40-degree slope in the mountainous Dillingham region. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules and was not monitored by radar at the time of the accident, since there is no such coverage in the area under 4000 feet.Former Senator Ted Stevens Is in Plane Crash https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/11crash.html?_r=1&hp The New York Times August 10, 2010 William Yardley Liz Robbins 10 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100811120421/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/11crash.html?_r=1&hp August 11, 2010 live mdy Other pilots who had flown in the same area during the course of the day described weather conditions in the region as "very bad"Flying Conditions Had Been Poor in Crash Area Alaska Public Radio Network 8-10-10 with visibility at times being less than 1 mi.Stevens Dies in Plane Crash; Some Survivors Flown to Anchorage Alaska Public Radio Network 8-10-10 Rescue efforts thumb|Closeup of the wreckage Local responders were on the mountain within a half hour of the airplane being located around 6:30 p.m. A doctor and emergency medical technicians were dropped off by helicopter the same dayhttp://www.alaskadispatch.com/projects/ted-stevens-1923-2010/6349-in-gci-crash-grassroots-search-and-rescue-led-to-horrible-crash-scene In GCI crash, grassroots search and rescue led to 'horrible' crash scene Saul Joshua Craig Medred, Jill Burke and Patti Epler August 11, 2010 Alaska Dispatch August 17, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100817152712/http://www.alaskadispatch.com/projects/ted-stevens-1923-2010/6349-in-gci-crash-grassroots-search-and-rescue-led-to-horrible-crash-scene August 17, 2010 dead mdy-all and spent the night providing aid to crash survivors. Early in the morning as the Alaska Air National Guard arrived at the scene, also by helicopter, the first responders assisted rescuers in navigating to the site with rain and fog in the area hampering rescue and recovery efforts.Murphy Kim https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-crash-20100811,0,2706610.story Alaska plane crash: Former Sen. Ted Stevens feared dead in Alaska plane crash Los Angeles Times August 10, 2010 10 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100811025448/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-alaska-crash-20100811%2C0%2C2706610.story August 11, 2010 live mdy U.S. Coast Guard assets from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak were also launched. A MH-60J Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on scene and deployed their rescue swimmer to the crash site to assist Air National Guard pararescuemen in extricating and treating patients for transport to medical care. Survivors were transported to Dillingham after being hoisted into both the Air National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters. The crew was met in Dillingham by a HC-130H Hercules aircraft and crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. They embarked and transported several patients, including O'Keefe's son Kevin. The aircrew also transported two Air National Guard pararescuemen so that they could continue work on and monitor the medical conditions of the survivors. Due to the nature of the survivors' injuries, the cabin could not be pressurized and the aircrew flew at a lower altitude. All patients were delivered to awaiting EMS in Anchorage at Kulis Air National Guard Base. A spokesperson for the Alaska National Guard said that rescuers were giving medical aid to survivors of the crash,Becky Bohrer https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iImeWBx3jNzOyQyuAiDaV67MSTXQD9HGNKAG0 The Associated Press: Rescuers arrive to help Alaska plane crash victims August 10, 2010 August 10, 2010June 2024 medicmedic and that three survivors were being airlifted to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38637072 https://web.archive.org/web/20120915015317/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38637072/ns/us_news-life live September 15, 2012 Plane carrying ex-Sen. Stevens crashes-TODAYshow.com August 10, 2010 MSNBC August 10, 2010 Upon examination of the wreckage it was discovered that the ELT antenna had separated from the ELT housing on impact, thus disabling the emergency signal.2011 Collision into Mountainous Terrain, GCI Communication Corp., de Havilland DHC-3T, N455A, Aleknagik, Alaska, August 9, 2010 https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR1103.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20260129021806/https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR1103.pdf January 29, 2026 July 27, 2026 NTSB It was also later determined that a functional satellite telephone that could have been used to summon aid was on board, but it went unused for hours, because passengers did not know it was there.AOPA Air Safety Institute Passenger Safety Brief video, time index 10:10 (October 2012) Passengers The aircraft was carrying eight passengers and one pilot. Four of the passengers and the pilot died and two more were badly injured, with the last two suffering only minor injuries.((the CNN Wire Staff)) http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/10/alaska.plane.crash/?hpt=T1 Former U.S. senator may have been on plane that crashed in Alaska CNN August 11, 2010 August 10, 2010 Among the five fatalities was Ted Stevens, who was a former U.S. Senator from Alaska. Also among the fatalities were a GCI executive and her 16-year-old daughter.Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens dies in plane crash https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_alaska_plane_crash Associated Press August 10, 2010 11 August 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100816014324/https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_alaska_plane_crash August 16, 2010 live mdy Among the survivors were former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and his 19-year-old son Kevin, both of whom sustained non-life-threatening injuries but were listed in critical and serious conditions respectively the night after the crash. The senior O'Keefe sustained leg and neck injuries, and several of his teeth were broken.Halsey, Ashley III and Lonnae O'Neal Parker. "The Waiting: Survivors of the Ted Stevens plane crash in Alaska wondered if help would reach them in time." The Washington Post. Sunday November 28, 2010. 1. Retrieved on November 24, 2010. "Emerging from his haze, Sean O'Keefe felt a bizarre sensation in his mouth. Like chewing on gravel without taking a bite. He explored that mystery with his tongue until it registered: His mouth was awash with his own broken teeth." Stevens and O'Keefe had been fishing together before, and had been planning a fishing trip to a site near Dillingham at the time of the crash. Stevens had survived a crash at Anchorage International Airport in 1978 that killed his first wife.Mark HosenballAugust 11, 2010 http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/2010/08/11/ntsb-warned-about-alaska-pilots-risky-ways-and-ted-stevens-argued.html NTSB Warned About Alaska Pilots' Risky Ways—and Ted Stevens Argued Newsweek August 11, 2010 August 13, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100815043411/http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/declassified/2010/08/11/ntsb-warned-about-alaska-pilots-risky-ways-and-ted-stevens-argued.html August 15, 2010 live Pilot Theron "Terry" Smith, who also died, had lost his son-in-law in another plane crash less than two weeks before.Pilot in GCI plane crash lost son-in-law in C-17 crash last month Joshua Saul, Alaska Dispatch October 8, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100819045024/http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/news/6322-pilot-in-gci-plane-crash-lost-son-in-law-in-c-17-crash-last-month August 19, 2010 Also among the dead was one of Stevens' former staff members, Bill Phillips. His youngest son, Willy, was seriously injured, and had to spend the night at the crash site with his dead fatherE:60 report, "Band of Brothers", November 8, 2011 along with Jim Morhard, who survived.The Waiting: Survivors of the Ted Stevens plane crash in Alaska wondered if help would reach them in time Investigation The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) sent a team to the site of the accident to investigate the cause of the crash.Former Senator Ted Stevens Is in Plane Crash https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/11crash.html?_r=2&hp The New York Times August 10, 2010 NTSB said it was sending a team of investigators to the crash site William Yardley Liz Robbins 10 August 2010 mdy The team returned an inconclusive report in May 2011. They speculated that the pilot, a recovered stroke victim, may have fallen asleep or had a seizure, but there was no direct evidence to support these theories. The report was critical of the Federal Aviation Administration's re-certification process, stating:The Federal Aviation Administration's internal guidance for medical certification of pilots following stroke is inadequate because it is conflicting and unclear, does not specifically address the risk of recurrence associated with such an event, and does not specifically recommend a neuropsychological evaluation (formal cognitive testing) to evaluate potential subtle cognitive impairment. The report went on to note that the airplane was equipped with a Terrain Awareness and Warning System, but that the pilot had elected to fly with the system turned off. Because much of Alaska's terrain is highly variable, bush pilots will often de-activate the system, as it issues many false warnings.http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/investigators-find-no-clear-cause-crash-killed-ted-stevens?page=0,1 Investigators find no clear cause for crash that killed Ted Stevens Jim Burke Alaska Dispatch May 24, 2011 May 25, 2011 October 5, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111005111005/http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/investigators-find-no-clear-cause-crash-killed-ted-stevens?page=0,1 dead References 30em https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10928024 "Former Senator Ted Stevens dies in Alaska plane crash" – BBC News BBC December 14, 2004 August 10, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100810192348/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10928024 August 10, 2010 live Further reading Johnson C.W. Oltedal H.A. Holloway C.M. 2012 Comparing the identification of recommendations by different accident investigators using a common methodology https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/conferences/10.1049/cp.2012.1516 7th IET International Conference on System Safety, incorporating the Cyber Security Conference 2012 en Institution of Engineering and Technology 31–31 10.1049/cp.2012.1516 978-1-84919-678-9 11250/2622672 free External links right Photos of N455A at Airliners.net Photos of N455A at JetPhotos.net Photos of N455A at Flickr 20100809-0 Summary of NTSB investigation ANC10MA068, including links to final report and safety recommendations NTSB docket for investigation ANC10MA068, including factual reports and case evidence Aviation Alaska Category:2010 in Alaska Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Alaska Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2010 Category:Dillingham Census Area, Alaska Category:August 2010 in the United States Category:Ted Stevens