A report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board offers a glimpse into the terrifying moments after a May 2019 mid-air collision in Alaska that claimed the lives of six people.
The report found that the crash happened because the pilots couldn’t see each other.
The de Havilland DHC-2 MK1 Beaver operated by Mountain Air and Taquan’s larger de Havilland DHC-3 Otter were carrying passengers from the Royal Princess cruise ship when they collided near Ketchikan, Alaska at an altitude of more than 1,000 metres.
All five people on the Beaver died, including a Richmond, B.C. woman, when it broke apart in mid-air. One person aboard the Otter died while nine passengers were seriously injured,
One passenger in the Otter had his leg sucked outside the plane, witnesses said. Other passengers and the passenger’s seatbelt kept him from being pulled out completely.
As for the cause, the NTSB said the pilots had obstructed views, either because of the structure of the cockpits or passengers were in the way. Both planes were equipped with systems that track other planes, which weren’t working properly.
The NTSB said the crash is further proof that the “see and avoid” method of flying when in busy airspace isn’t good enough.
The NTSB issued 10 safety recommendations, including requiring that planes operating in high-traffic tour areas broadcast their locations to other aircraft.