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OTTER CRASH/BURN KILLS 10 IN SOLDOTNA, ALASKA

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Posted (edited)

ANY specific reports on this today? One news reports said "twin engine", and another said DHC3....At takeoff? I flew the single-engine Otter in Germany - It wont hold 10 people......or at least ours wouldn't. Must be a twin Otter? Whose? Kenai Air?

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

Rediske Air out of Nikiski.  Turbine single otter.  Even the old round cowls hold 10 passengers.  Sounds like he lost the hot section within seconds of take off, not sure if there was in infight fire or not, but the engine does not appear to have been making power when he hit (prop blades are all curled aft).  Looks as if he just pancaked it in hard and the gear failed... Fuel tanks are in the belly of the plane.....  Willy was a good guy and a damn good pilot who has been flying since he was a kid... This is one shitty deal here.  Hopefully the NTSB can come up with something conclusive. 

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Posted (edited)

Rediske Air out of Nikiski.  Turbine single otter.  Even the old round cowls hold 10 passengers.  Sounds like he lost the hot section within seconds of take off, not sure if there was in infight fire or not, but the engine does not appear to have been making power when he hit (prop blades are all curled aft).  Looks as if he just pancaked it in hard and the gear failed... Fuel tanks are in the belly of the plane.....  Willy was a good guy and a damn good pilot who has been flying since he was a kid... This is one shitty deal here.  Hopefully the NTSB can come up with something conclusive.

Sorry to hear about the loss of a good pilot, and the others.

Guessing that our Army Otter was configured differently - only room for 6 including pilots in the one and only I flew in - more for cargo, I guess. Round engine, 1958.

I caught a ride in another one from France to Germany, and I would swear that there were only 4 seats in it at the time, including pilots. I did a double-take, wondering if it was a Beaver or Otter, but too big for a Beaver.

EDMO

Edited by Ed In Missouri

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Posted

must have had something to do with the millitary version.  All the civillian versions I have seen had 9 seats in the back, two up front. 

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Posted

Bummer,Sounds like you knew the guy Leni,sorry for the loss of your local comrade.Randy

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Yes, I knew Willy... It sucks that he left behind the wife and 3 kids..... but the passengers were 2 separate families, parents and kids, all gone in one swoop.  Its a heart breaker, but at the end of the day, its an acceptable risk to be able to continue doing what we all love to do.

 

:BC:

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Posted

Yes, I knew Willy... It sucks that he left behind the wife and 3 kids..... but the passengers were 2 separate families, parents and kids, all gone in one swoop.  Its a heart breaker, but at the end of the day, its an acceptable risk to be able to continue doing what we all love to do.

 

:BC:

And, as a reminder of the risks - any pilot who has to drive a distance to get to the airport has a greater chance of being in a crash on the highway than on the runway.

EDMO

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