On June 16, 1982, a DE Havilland DHC-6-100 (registration N525N) operated by Sea Airmotive, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Near Port Heide, AK. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During cruise flight, the left engine surged twice and emitted fire. The pilot secured the engine and discharged the fire bottle without effect, then made a precautionary landing at Port Heiden Airport. Investigation found seizure of the planetary X gear.
Event Description
While in cruise flight, the left engine surged two times. The pilot then observed flames emanating from the engine exhaust and cowling. In response, the pilot secured the left engine and discharged the fire extinguisher bottle. However, this action did not extinguish the fire. The pilot subsequently performed a precautionary landing at Port Heiden Airport. The landing was completed without further incident.
Investigation Findings
Post-incident examination of the engine revealed that it had experienced a seizure of the planetary "X" gear. The investigation was unable to determine the specific mode of failure of this gear. No other malfunctions or anomalies were identified.