TWINOTTERARCHIVE master index

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msn 229
DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 200
N68DE
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 229

Series 200

N659MA

N68DE

• Registration • Activity and details of Owner/Operator and other historical information

• N659MA de Havilland Canada Inc., Downsview, ON. Rolled out date Apr-1969 First flight 17-Apr-1969.

• N659MA MAC - Miami Aviation Corporation, Opa Locka, FL. Delivered 02-May-1969.

• N659MA Leased to Air Indies, St. Thomas, PR. Regd 02-May-1969.

• N659MA Returned to MAC-Miami Aviation Corporation, Opa-locka, FL. Feb-1971.

Noted parked at Opa-locka, FL 23-Aug-1971 in full Air Indies c/s

• N659MA Air Illinois, Carbondale, IL. Regd 1973.

• N68DE Downeast Airlines, Rockford, ME. Regd 18-Jul-1978.

Accident: Knox Regional County A/P at Rockland ME, 30-May-1979. when it hit trees and crashed onto a road in fog when landing at while on a flight from Boston - 2 crew and 15 pax were killed - 1 pax survived – Aircraft  W/O,

"... the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the flight crew to arrest the aircraft's descent at the minimum descent altitude for the non precision approach, without the runway environment in sight, for unknown reasons . Although the Safety Board was unable to determine conclusively the reason(s) or the flight crew's deviation from standard instrument approach procedures, it is believed that inordinate management pressures, the first officer's marginal instrument proficiency, the captain's inadequate super-vision of the flight, inadequate crew training and procedures, and the captain's chronic fatigue were all factors in the accident."

Note: Wreckage was acquired by Newcal Aviation, Little Ferry, NJ, 17-Mar-1988, and was noted at Teterboro, NJ as late as 2003. Canx 23-Apr-2009 as per FAA record.

• N68DE Newcal Aviation Inc., Little Ferry, NJ. Regd 17-Mar-1988. Canx 23-Apr-2009.

Written off

N659MA unpainted, at Downsview - CYZD, Ontario.
Photo: DHC © April 1969 - Michael J. Ody Collection
N659MA at St. Louis, Missouri.
Photo: Unknown photographer © July 1976 - Erik Johannesson Collection
N68DE of DOWNEAST.
Photo: Unknown photographer © Date unkown - Michael J. Ody Collection