Venture Travel, LLC

Operated by Venture Travel, LLC (per NTSB report)

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a quartering tailwind during a water landing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the company’s inadequate operational control of the flight release process, which resulted in assignment of an inexperienced pilot to a commuter seaplane flight.

Operated by Venture Travel LLC (per NTSB report)

The pilot's decision to continue under visual flight rules into an area of instrument metrological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, and the FAA's inadequate surveillance of the commercial air tour operator.

Sanction: $8,000 · case closed 2025-01-17

Sanction: $2,000 · case closed 2020-12-08

Part: BREATHER TUBE — MISROUTED (ZONE 400) · airframe 28,060 hrs · 6,497 cycles

SMOKE IN CABIN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: FOUND ENGINE BREATHER TUBE MIS-ROUTED CAUSING BREATHER VAPORS TO ENTER THE LOWER FUSELAGE.

Part: INTAKE DUCT — FROZEN · airframe 26,730 hrs · 18,002 cycles

ENGINE IS A PT6A-34, VASAR STC FOR THE PRATT AND WHITNEY TURBINE. PILOT REPORTED A SURGE IN THE ENGINE DURING TAKEOFF AND A POWER LOSS. THE ENGINE RECOVERED QUICKLY AFTER THE POWER LOSS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING RELOCATED FROM NOT FAR FROM THE MAIN HANGER, SO THE PILOT WAS ONLY IN THE AIR FOR A VERY SHORT TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT IN THE HANGER, AND WE INVESTIGATED THE DISCREPANCY. LARGE ICE CHUNKS WERE FOUND ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE AIR INTAKE AREA AFT OF THE DIVERTER AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AIR INTAKE. WE ARE BASED IN KETCHIKAN ALASKA AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS OUTSIDE PARKED FOR OVER A WEEK. IT HAS BEEN RAINING HEAVILY AND WATER SITS IN THE LOW SPOT OF THE INTAKE. THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED BELOW FREEZING AND HAS STAYED BELOW FREEZING. WHAT IT APPEARS HAPPENED IS THE WATER THAT DID NOT DRAIN OUT OF THE INTAKE FROZE, THEN WHEN ENOUGH POWER WAS APPLIED TO THE ENGINE THE LARGE, OVER AN INCH THICK PIECE OF ICE RELEASED ITSELF FROM THE INTAKE AND HIT THE AFT SCREEN AND BROKE INTO MANY PIECES. WE DOWNLOADED THE DATA FROM THE ELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL MVP-50 AND COULD SEE THE EVENT. WE INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND DID NOT FIND ANY ISSUES OR DAMAGE CAUSED BYT HE ICE.

Part: OIL COOLER — MISMANUFACTURED (ENGINE) · airframe 42,735 hrs

AFTER REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE OIL COOLER, OIL TEMPERATURE WOULD NOT RISE TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE. DISCOVERED REPLACEMENT COOLER WAS MANUFACTURED INCORRECTLY WITH AN INTERNAL BAFFLE LOCATED IN THE WRONG PASSAGE CAUSING THE OIL TO NOT BYPASS WHILE COLD.

Part: SPAR — CRACKED (ZONE 300) · airframe 26,634 hrs

LEFT ELEVATOR SERVO TAB SPAR ON ELEVATOR AT HINGE ATTACH POINT CRACKED.

Part: FUEL CONTROL — FAILED (ENGINE)

FUEL CONTROL PERFORMED AN COMMANDED ACCELERATION, OVERSPEED GOVERNOR STOPPED THE OVERSPEED FROM HAPPENING.

Part: SPAR — DAMAGED (RT WING) · airframe 36,669 hrs

DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION A DISCREPANCY WAS MADE TO PULL OFF GROSS WEIGHT KIT RIGHT WING TO REMOVE WING STRAP OVER SPAR DUE TO A GAP AT ONE OF THE TAPPERED ENDS ON THE STRAP. WHEN REMOVED THE MECHANIC NOTICED A DRILL HOLE OVER THE WING SPAR, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION USING A BORESCOPE IT WAS FOUND THE THE SPAR WAS IN FACT DRILLED THRU BY MISTAKE AT THE TIME THE KIT WAS BEING INSTALLED.

Part: PUSHROD — BROKEN (NR 8 CYLINDER) · airframe 35,673 hrs

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. PILOT TURNED AROUND TO RETURNED, COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND LANDED. DURING TAXIING THE ENGINE DIED. PILOT NEVER TRIED TO RESTART ENGINE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED. NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. INVESTIGATION FOUND THE NR 8 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE PUSHROD BROKEN AT ROCKER ARM END. THE PUSHROD WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING GOOD.

Part: PUSH-PULL ROD — CORRODED (ELEVATOR) · airframe 25,195 hrs

PUSH/PULL TUBE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE SEVERE PITTING AND HOLES THRU THE TUBE. FOUND THE ALUMINUM WAS SEVERLY CORRODED AT THE AREA WHERE IT MATES WITH THE STEEL TUBE. CORROSION WAS SO SEVERE IT CRACKED THE FITTING. ONLY WAY TO DISCOVER THE CRACK WAS TO DISASSEMBLE PART WHICH IS USUALLY ONLY DONE AT A REPAIR SHOP.

Part: SPINNER — CRACKED · airframe 24,419 hrs

SMALL CRACKS IN BULKHEAD OF SPINNER AT OUTER RADIUS SPINNER CRACKED AT BLADE SHANK CUTOUTS.

Part: SUPERCHARGER — MAKING METAL (ENGINE)

ENGINE LOST SOME POWER ON DESCENT, ONCE THE PLANE LANDED, PILOT REPORTED A METAL TO METAL SOUND. ONCE MAINTENANCE ARRIVED A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL WAS SEEN AT THE EXHAUST TAILPIPE. AFTER PULLING THE PROPELLER THROUGH, A HYDRAULIC LOCK OCCURED AND AT THAT POINT CREW PLACED THE AIRCRAFT ON A BARGE TO RETURN TO TOWN. AT ENGINE REMOVAL A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL WAS LEAKING THROUGH THE SUPERCHARGER SECTION OF THE ENGINE AND METAL CONTAMINATES WERE DISCOVERED IN THE OIL SCREEN.

Part: CYLINDER — FAILED (NUMBER 4) · airframe 16,596 hrs

NR 4 CYLINDER FAILURE AND SEPARATION FROM ENGINE CASE. ROUGH ENGINE LANDING AT TAQUAN AIR.

Part: BULKHEAD — CRACKED (SPINNER) · airframe 21,332 hrs

SPINNER BULKHEAD CRACKS AT REAR SECTION AND DELAMINATION OF EPOXY.

Part: TRANSCEIVER — MALFUNCTIONED (COCKPIT)

DURING POST INSTALLATION CHECKS, FOUND THE GDL90 UAT REPORTING CONTINUOUS EXTERNAL FAULT ERROR. NO EXTERNAL FAULTS FOUND. REPLACEMENT OF THE UNIT CORRECTED THE ERROR. (K)

Part: BULKHEAD — CRACKED (SPINNER) · airframe 21,152 hrs

SPINNER BULKHEAD CRACKED.

Part: BULKHEAD — CRACKED (SPINNER) · airframe 21,152 hrs

SPINNER BULKHEAD CRACKED.

Part: BULKHEAD — CRACKED (SPINNER) · airframe 21,152 hrs

SPINNER BULKHEAD CRACKED.

Part: MOUNT — CRACKED (ADC)

DURING ANNUAL INSPECTION FOUND THE ADC TRAY CRACKED COMPLETELY ACROSS ONE END. (K)

Part: ENGINE — SEIZED · airframe 28,543 hrs

ENGINE SEIZURE DURING CLIMB-OUT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF ENGINE OIL SCREEN AND SUMPS REVEALED STEEL PARTICLES.

Part: TRACK — CRACKED (ADC MOUNT)

DURING A SCHEDULED INSPECTION, FOUND THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) BROKE LOOSE FROM ITS MOUNT. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THE MOUNTING BRACKET FLANGE CRACKED COMPLETELY OFF THE AIRFRAME STRUCTURE IT WAS RIVETED TO. AFTER REMOVAL OF THE BRACKET, AND FURTHER INSPECTION, IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE FLANGE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED WITH THE PROPER RADIUSES IN THE CUTOUT FOR THE THUMBNAIL SCREW CAUSING IT TO CRACK. VIBRATION FROM GENERAL AIRCRAFT OPERATION CONTRIBUTED TO THE ISSUE. THIS ADC WAS INSTALLED AS PART OF THE STC NR SA02203AK EFIS-SV SYSTEM IN APRIL OF 2004.

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER PN 660526AS INSTALLED UNDER STC NR SA809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPUTER INSTALLED UNDER FLIGHT SYSTEMS EFIS-SV SYSTEM IAW STC NR SA02203AK.

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER INSTALLED UNDER STC NR SA809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPUTER INSTALLED, EFIS-SV SYSTEM IAW STC NR SA02206AK.

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER, INSTALLED UNDER STC NR SA809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED INT THE AIRCRAFT TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPURTER (ADC) INSTALLED, EFIS-SV SYSTEM IAW STC NR SA02203AK.

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER (PN 660526AS) INSTALLED UNDER STC NR SA809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPUTER INSTALLED UNDER IAW STC NR SA02203AK.

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER (PN 660526AS) INSTALLED UNDER STC SA809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FULE FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AC TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPUTER INSTALLED IAW STC SA02203AK. (K)

Part: TRANSDUCER — MALFUNCTIONED (FUEL FLOW)

REMOVED FUEL FLOW TRANSDUCER INSTALLED UNDER STC NR 809GL. UNIT PROVIDING ERRONEOUS FUEL FLOW READINGS AND CAUSING THE AIR DATA COMPUTER (ADC) ALSO INSTALLED IN THE AIRCRAFT TO FUNCTION IMPROPERLY. AIR DATA COMPUTER INSTALLED UNDER EFS-SV SYSTEM IAW STC NR SA02203AK.

Part: CARBURETOR — MALFUNCTIONED (ENGINE)

AFTER TRYING TO START ENGINE, PILOT SMELLED FUEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A STUCK FLOAT OR NEEDLE VALVE OR SUNKEN FLOAT.