What happened
During an attempt to depart from a restricted lake area, the pilot of a DHC-2 was operating the aircraft near its maximum allowable weight. Environmental conditions at the time included high ambient temperatures. The flight crew had established a specific point on the water to determine whether to proceed with the takeoff or abort. As the aircraft reached this designated position, the pilot reported that the plane had achieved the necessary step.
While the pilot believed a successful departure was imminent, the aircraft failed to accelerate sufficiently. Before reaching a safe maneuvering speed, the pilot began an ascent. To prevent the aircraft from impacting nearby high terrain, a right-hand turn was initiated. During this maneuver, the aircraft lost lift, began to mush, and ultimately entered a stall while still above the lake surface.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating at near-maximum weight capacity.
- High temperatures contributed to degraded performance.
- The pilot initiated a climb and turn before reaching an adequate airspeed.
- Due to a lack of available seating, passengers were positioned on top of the cargo during the flight.