What happened
A De Havilland DHC-6, registration N75GC, was conducting a local sightseeing mission under Part 135 regulations when the accident occurred. After completing its scheduled tour, the aircraft was cleared for landing on runway 21 at Grand Canyon National Park Airport. During the final approach, witnesses noted that the plane maintained a normal descent until it reached approximately 5 feet of altitude, at which point it traveled roughly 1,000 feet along the runway surface before making contact.
The aircraft experienced a bounce and proceeded another 1,000 feet down the runway before a second touchdown occurred. During this second contact, the right wingtip scraped the runway surface. Following this impact, the aircraft veered toward the right side of the runway. The crew attempted to abort the landing by initiating a go-around procedure. During the climb, the aircraft reached an altitude between 150 and 200 feet above ground level before rolling to the left. The plane subsequently struck a wooded hillside located approximately 120 feet to the left of the runway.
The impact with the terrain severed a power line, which caused an electrical outage at the airport and hindered the speed of the emergency response. The accident resulted in 10 fatalities (the two pilots and eight passengers) and 11 injuries, nine of which were classified as serious.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor was improper pilot techniques and a lack of effective crew coordination during the landing sequence, specifically regarding the management of the aircraft bounce and the subsequent transition to a go-around.