What happened
On September 23, 2011, a de Havilland DHC-3T airplane, registration N361TT, crashed near Heitman Lake, approximately 5 miles south-southwest of Kodiak, Alaska. The aircraft was being operated by Paklook Air Inc. as an air taxi flight under 14 CFR Part 135. The flight had departed from Old Harbor, Alaska, en route to Kodiak.
During the flight, the pilot initiated an unscheduled approach to Heitman Lake. After approaching the lake, the pilot decided to perform a go-around rather than landing. While flying at a low altitude through a "V" shaped notch formed by a creek and surrounding hills, the airplane's left wing struck an evergreen tree on the hillside. Following the impact, the pilot attempted to recover by pulling back hard on the control yoke and rolling the aircraft to the right. This maneuver resulted in a steep climb, aircraft vibration, and the activation of the stall warning horn. The airplane then rolled to the left and entered a steep, nose-down descent, impacting the ground approximately 200 feet past the tree.
Of the three people on board, the pilot sustained 1 fatal injury, one passenger sustained 1 serious injury, and the third passenger sustained 1 minor injury.
The investigation
Investigators from the NTSB and the FAA examined the wreckage at the crash site. The examination of the N360TT airframe and engine revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have prevented normal operation. The aircraft, which had been modified with a Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop engine, showed substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The left wing had an impact mark that matched orange paint chips found at the base of the tree that was struck.
Data recovered from the pilot's Garmin GPSMAP 696 showed the flight track, confirming the aircraft descended toward the lake and slowed to a groundspeed of 64 knots before the accident occurred. The investigation also included a toxicological examination of the pilot.
Findings
Postmortem toxicological analysis of the pilot revealed the presence of Doxylamine, a sedating antihistamine, as well as metabolites of Dextromethorphan. While the levels of Doxylamine were below the therapeutic range, the use of these over-the-counter medications on the day of the accident may have impaired the pilot's performance.