TWINOTTERARCHIVE master index

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msn 527
DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300
T2-TV8
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527

Series 300

C-GDHA/2 • N279WW • N9SP • P2-RDM • RP-C-1312 • P2-RDM • VH-FNY • VH-OHP • TI-AZV • N716JP • C-GKVO

T2-TV8

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

• C-GDHA de Havilland Canada Inc., Downsview, ON. Rolled out date 01-Feb-1977. First flight 01-Feb-1977.

Noted at Glasgow 17-Jun-1977. Probably heading to Paris Air Show. "30'" on nose.

Note: Reported as in service with RCAF 173 Squadron during 1977.

• C-GDHA DHC factory test / experimental aircraft. May-1979.

• (N279WW) NTU by Atlantis Airlines, Myrtle Beach, SC. May-1979.

• N379WW Delivered to Atlantis Airlines, Myrtle Beach, SC, 04-May-1979. (Note Guam also mentioned.)

Airworthiness date: 30-May-1979.

• N379WW Leased to SPIA-South Pacific Island Airways, American Samoa. 12-Apr-1983.

• N9SP Re regd to SPIA-South Pacific Island Airways, American Samoa. Oct-1983.

• N9SP Repossessed by Atlantis Airlines, Myrtle Beach, SC. Aug-1987.

• P2-RDM Sold to Talair, Goroka, PNG. 30-Jan-1989.

Flew Goroka, PNG - Vanimo, PNG - Koror, Palau - Mactan - Manila, Philippines 27/28-Dec-1989.

P2-RDM Leased to Aerolift Phillipines, Manila, Philippines. 30-Dec-1989.

P2-RDM Returned to Talair, Goroka, PNG., 1990. Flew Goroka, PNG - Vanimo, PNG - Koror, Palau - Mactan - Manila, Philippines 27/28-Dec-1989.

RP-C1312 Metroair, Manila "Jose Tinsay" Leased to Metro Manila Airways, Manila, Philippines, Jun-1990.

P2-RDM Returned to Talair, Goroka, PNG., Mar-1992.

Withdrawn from use & stored at Goroka 25-May-1993; ferried to Mareeba, QLD 07-Jul-1993 for continued storage.

• VH-FNY Sold to Flight West Airlines, Eagle Farm, QL. 16-Aug-1995.

• VH-FNY Sold to Hawker Pacific, Yagoona, NSW. 16-Aug-1995.

• VH-FNY Leased to Australian Army, Oakey, QLD. 07-Jul-1998.

• VH-OHP Hawker Pacific, Yagoona, NSW  12-May-1998.

• VH-OHP Leased to Australian Army, Oakey, QLD.

• VH-OHP Returned to Hawker Pacific, Yagoona, NSW. 29-Apr-2005.

• TI-AZV Sold to Natureair, Costa Rica. 25-Jun-2005.

• N716JP Sold to Bald Mountain Air Service, Homer, AK, 28-Jul-2008.

Note: Following maintenance 29-Apr-2012, returned Victoria, BC - Sitka, AK.

Incident: En route. 27-Oct-2012. The operator was conducting survey operations which require the aircraft to be flown at a specific speed and altitude. The pilot was in the process of slowing down the aircraft by lowering the flaps and maintaining the proper altitude and air speed to perform the survey. Subsequently, the pilot noticed the nose of the aircraft was heavy after he had positioned the flaps about 10 degrees to maintain the correct air speed. The pilot began to make a visual sweep of the aircraft instruments and noticed the flap indicator indicated 10 degrees; however, the hydraulic pump pressure gauge was reading zero. The pilot initiated emergency procedures and deactivated the appropriate circuit breaker and used the hydraulic hand pump to lower the flaps and landed at Wainwright, Alaska without further incident. The Pilot in right seat (a&p) contacted his director of maintenance for instructions. They trouble shot the system according to the manufacturer's procedures and could not duplicate the failure. The Pilot in Control entered the appropriate discrepancy into the flight log and the appropriate corrective action, and the aircraft was returned to service.

Flew Fairbanks, AK - Deadhorse, AK., on 26-Oct-2015 Then Deadhorse-Alpine, AK. 30-Oct-2015 Ugnu-Kuparuk, AK -Fairbanks, AK - Homer, AK.

Incident: 225 km (140.6 mls) N of Deadhorse, AK. 20-Mar-2018. On March 20, 2018, about 1945 Alaska daylight time, the wheel-equipped, struck a pedestrian after take-off from a remote sea ice airstrip, about 140 miles north of Deadhorse, Alaska. The pedestrian sustained serious injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The captain, first officer, and the three passengers on board the airplane were not injured. The flight was operated by Bald Mountain Air Service, Inc., Homer, Alaska, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand commercial flight when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure, and a VFR flight plan was on file. The flight was en route to Deadhorse at the time of the accident.

During a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on March 23, the accident airplane's captain said that the purpose of the flight was to provide ongoing logistical support of ICEX 2018, which involves, in part, U.S. Navy and U.K Royal Navy submarines operating beneath the frozen Arctic Ocean during a 5-week exercise. The captain stated that the flights used an airstrip on the sea ice that was lined on both sides with snow berms. The airstrip included one runway oriented north/south and an intersecting runway oriented east/west. He said that weather conditions at the time of the accident consisted of clear skies with ice pack haze. He noted that the sun was low on the horizon, resulting in shadows on the airstrip, and that flat light conditions made it difficult to discern topographical features.

The captain said that, after back-taxiing the airplane to the south end of the airstrip and just before beginning the take-off roll to the north, both pilots saw the pedestrian standing near the departure end of the airstrip on the left side and near the intersection of the east/west runway. He said that during the take-off roll, the airplane veered slightly to the left of centreline, so he applied differential engine power to correct the veer, and the airplane returned to the centreline. As the take-off roll continued, the airplane subsequently became airborne, so he lowered the nose to remain within ground effect and gain airspeed before initiating a climb. He said that as the airspeed increased, he started to climb the airplane, then initiated a left turn. During the turn, both pilots said they heard a loud thump, which was immediately followed by an aileron control anomaly. The captain reported that he continued the left turn and subsequently entered a left downwind traffic pattern for an emergency landing to the north. The captain said that after landing, both pilots saw the pedestrian lying near a snow berm on the left side of the airstrip.

A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing and left aileron. The pedestrian sustained a serious head and neck injuries because of the collision, and he was subsequently medevacked to Anchorage, AK for treatment.

During a hospital room interview with the NTSB IIC, on March 25, the injured pedestrian, who was an employee of the Arctic Submarine Laboratory, reported that just before the two pilots boarded the airplane, it was agreed that he would position himself alongside the airstrip to get a photo of the airplane's departure. The pedestrian noted that, as the accident airplane approached, he positioned himself behind a 3- to 4-ft tall snow berm, which was clear of the airstrip. He said that, as the airplane's take-off progressed, it did not climb as quickly as it had during previous departures. The pedestrian said that the last thing he remembered before the collision was seeing the airplane's left wing getting lower to the ground as the airplane continued to accelerate toward him. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the medevac helicopter.

Note: The aircraft (minus wings) was acquired by Gravitas Aviation Ltd, West Vancouver, BC from the ice near Deadhorse, AK As it was unflyable, and located on deteriorating sea ice, the choices became a)abandon the aircraft where it sat, or b) devise a plan to have it slung out from the very remote location. Over the ensuing days the engines and wings were able to be removed, and it was eventually recovered successfully from the ice by Tanalian & Northern Pioneer Helicopters. As the aircraft total time is less than 30,000 hrs, the aircraft will be fully repaired and overhauled.

• N716JP Gravitas Aviation Ltd., West Vancouver, BC. FAA record shows as Status in question.

• N716JP Sold to AIG - American International Group.20-Jun-2019. Canx 21-Aug-2019

• C-GKVO Registered to Unity Group Ltd., Airdrie, AB. 19-Sep-2019.

• T2-TV8 Air Tuvalu, Funafuti, Tuvalu. Regd Apr-2023. Delivered 11-May-2023, after delay due to Covid-19 event.

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C-GDHA at Paris / Le Bourget - LFPB, France.
Photo: Michel Gilltand © June 1977 - Micheal J. Ody Collection
C-GDHA at Glasgow - EGPF, Scotland, with Paris Air Show code "30".
Photo: Andrew Marshall © 15 June 1977 - via Harry Campbell - Aird Archives
C-GDHA at Downsview - CYZD, Ontario.
Photo: Fred Guthrie © Novemner 1977 - Rainer Haufschild - Aird Archives
C-GDHA representing DHC at Farnborough - EGLF, United Kingdom.
Photo: Unknown photographer © September 1978 - Aird Archives
N379WW of atlantis at Charlotte - KCLT, North Carolina.
Photo: Elliot Greeman © July 1982 - Michael J. Ody Collection
P2-RDM with many others, parked out at Mareeba - YMBA, Queensland.
Photos: Peter Keating © October 1993 - Michael J. Ody Collection (Top via George Trussell)
VH-FNY serving with Flight West, at Brisbane - YBBN, Queensland.
Photo: Unknown photographer © Date unknown - Erik Johannesson Collection
VH-FNY same spot after a downpour!
Photo: Bob Wiseman © May 1996 - Lance Higgerson Collection - Aird Archives
VH-OHP at Adelaide - FAAD, South Australia.
Photos: Lance Higgerson © Date unknown
VH-OHP at Archerfield - YBAF, Brisbane, Queensland.
Photo: Unknown photographer © October 1998 - John Mounce Collection - Aird Archives
Photo: Unknown photographer © April 2000 - John Mounce Collection - Aird Archives
TI-AZV at San Jose.
Photo: Unknown photographer © Date unknown - Michael J. Ody Collection
TI-AZV at Victoria - CYYJ, British Columbia.
Photo: Tim Martin © 30 June 2008 - Aird Archives
N716JP at Kenai Municipal - PAEN, Alaska.
Photo: Dietmar Schreiber © 15 May 2012 - Erik Johannesson Collection
N716JP from the other side - at Anchorage - PANC.
Photo: Ben Cogger © 07 June 2013 - Aird Archives
T2-TV8 at Funafuti - NGFU, Tuvalu.
Photo: Fakasoa Tealel / Twitter © 11 May 2023