On July 23, 1969, a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver (registration CF-MGS) operated by Airwest Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Wenatchee, United States of America during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident resulted from improper leveling during the water landing, compounded by insufficient preflight planning and dispatching the aircraft to an area without docking facilities. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A passenger drowned following a water landing on a fast-moving river near Wenatchee when the aircraft partially submerged.
What happened
A float-equipped aircraft was involved in an accident during its arrival at a swift-moving river located in the vicinity of Wenatchee. While attempting to land on the water, the plane struck the surface and subsequently began to sink partially into the river. During the incident, the crew members were affected differently: the pilot was successfully rescued from the scene, but the passenger sustained a fatal injury due to drowning.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements related to the execution of the landing and flight planning. The official analysis determined that the pilot failed to maintain an appropriate level-off during the approach to the river. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted deficiencies in preflight preparations. It was also noted that the flight was dispatched into a region lacking necessary docking infrastructure, which contributed to the circumstances of the crash.
Probable cause
The accident resulted from improper leveling during the water landing, compounded by insufficient preflight planning and dispatching the aircraft to an area without docking facilities.