Narrative:

At PM30 alaska daylight time on jun/wed/94 in the vicinity of the taku glacier lodge (approximately 20 mi northeast of the juneau international airport, jnu) a midair collision occurred between 2 dehavilland dhc-3 otter seaplanes. The otter aircraft were flying in formation, with the lead plane in front and to the right of the other aircraft at an altitude of 600 ft MSL (approximately 550 ft AGL). The otters were deadheading (returning empty) to the lodge to pick up the last load of tourists that were to be returned to cruise ships in the juneau harbor. The otter pilots planned to fly in formation in view of the lodge, continuing north out over the river where the pilot of the lead aircraft would call 'break' at which time the lead plane would pull into a climb while the other aircraft would simultaneously bank to the left and start a climb away from the lead aircraft. Then both aircraft would land in the river in front of the lodge and load up for the return flight to the harbor which was scheduled to depart at XA00 adt. A third otter seaplane to the right and further behind was following the 2 that were in close formation. Just after the 'break' I felt a bump in the lead aircraft and the yoke jerked back an inch or so in my hands. Communication with the other formation pilot (wingman) disclosed that he had also felt a slight bump in his otter but thought it might have been wake turbulence, in any case everything seemed to be 'ok.' as I entered the landing pattern the wingman flew alongside, inspected the tail section and reported no visual damage. At this point I moved the elevator through some pitch changes at cruise confign and slow flight to determine basic airworthiness. No unusual characteristics were experienced and both aircraft landed without incident. At the lodge dock, both aircraft were visually inspected for damage by me and the other pilot who has yrs of experience performing aircraft maintenance. My plane was found to have some small skin wrinkles toward the end of the port elevator, while the other aircraft had a few scratches in the paint north the upper leading edge of the right wingtip. Further inspection and functional testing of my aircraft's elevator, included moving the elevator through its full travel both at the tail and in the cockpit, with attention given to unobstructed movement and positive control. Due to the late hour, light damage, departing cruise ships, limited availability of extra pilots and aircraft, and my judgement that the aircraft was absolutely airworthy, I decided that flying passenger back to juneau in this aircraft in broad daylight would be at least as safe and less stressful than having them wait an hour or more for a replacement aircraft. The safety consideration involved the probability of flying the tourists back to the harbor in diminishing daylight on the replacement aircraft. On its return to the juneau airport my aircraft was grounded for minor repairs to the elevator. The next morning by AM00 my aircraft and I were on our way to the taku lodge with another load of tourists. Company management was made aware of this incident within an hour of its occurrence, and the NTSB and FAA were notified the next morning. Supplemental information from acn 273459: I think this 'bump' occurred as a final step in yrs of flying people up and down the river several times a day during the summer. This was the second summer where there was a 25 min empty leg each day and over the 2 yrs we slowly found a way to make use of opportunity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FORMATION FLT OF 2 DHC-3'S MAKE ACTUAL CONTACT ON A FERRY FLT.

Narrative: AT PM30 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME ON JUN/WED/94 IN THE VICINITY OF THE TAKU GLACIER LODGE (APPROX 20 MI NE OF THE JUNEAU INTL ARPT, JNU) A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED BTWN 2 DEHAVILLAND DHC-3 OTTER SEAPLANES. THE OTTER ACFT WERE FLYING IN FORMATION, WITH THE LEAD PLANE IN FRONT AND TO THE R OF THE OTHER ACFT AT AN ALT OF 600 FT MSL (APPROX 550 FT AGL). THE OTTERS WERE DEADHEADING (RETURNING EMPTY) TO THE LODGE TO PICK UP THE LAST LOAD OF TOURISTS THAT WERE TO BE RETURNED TO CRUISE SHIPS IN THE JUNEAU HARBOR. THE OTTER PLTS PLANNED TO FLY IN FORMATION IN VIEW OF THE LODGE, CONTINUING N OUT OVER THE RIVER WHERE THE PLT OF THE LEAD ACFT WOULD CALL 'BREAK' AT WHICH TIME THE LEAD PLANE WOULD PULL INTO A CLB WHILE THE OTHER ACFT WOULD SIMULTANEOUSLY BANK TO THE LEFT AND START A CLB AWAY FROM THE LEAD ACFT. THEN BOTH ACFT WOULD LAND IN THE RIVER IN FRONT OF THE LODGE AND LOAD UP FOR THE RETURN FLT TO THE HARBOR WHICH WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART AT XA00 ADT. A THIRD OTTER SEAPLANE TO THE R AND FURTHER BEHIND WAS FOLLOWING THE 2 THAT WERE IN CLOSE FORMATION. JUST AFTER THE 'BREAK' I FELT A BUMP IN THE LEAD ACFT AND THE YOKE JERKED BACK AN INCH OR SO IN MY HANDS. COM WITH THE OTHER FORMATION PLT (WINGMAN) DISCLOSED THAT HE HAD ALSO FELT A SLIGHT BUMP IN HIS OTTER BUT THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WAKE TURB, IN ANY CASE EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE 'OK.' AS I ENTERED THE LNDG PATTERN THE WINGMAN FLEW ALONGSIDE, INSPECTED THE TAIL SECTION AND RPTED NO VISUAL DAMAGE. AT THIS POINT I MOVED THE ELEVATOR THROUGH SOME PITCH CHANGES AT CRUISE CONFIGN AND SLOW FLT TO DETERMINE BASIC AIRWORTHINESS. NO UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE EXPERIENCED AND BOTH ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THE LODGE DOCK, BOTH ACFT WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED FOR DAMAGE BY ME AND THE OTHER PLT WHO HAS YRS OF EXPERIENCE PERFORMING ACFT MAINT. MY PLANE WAS FOUND TO HAVE SOME SMALL SKIN WRINKLES TOWARD THE END OF THE PORT ELEVATOR, WHILE THE OTHER ACFT HAD A FEW SCRATCHES IN THE PAINT N THE UPPER LEADING EDGE OF THE R WINGTIP. FURTHER INSPECTION AND FUNCTIONAL TESTING OF MY ACFT'S ELEVATOR, INCLUDED MOVING THE ELEVATOR THROUGH ITS FULL TRAVEL BOTH AT THE TAIL AND IN THE COCKPIT, WITH ATTN GIVEN TO UNOBSTRUCTED MOVEMENT AND POSITIVE CTL. DUE TO THE LATE HR, LIGHT DAMAGE, DEPARTING CRUISE SHIPS, LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF EXTRA PLTS AND ACFT, AND MY JUDGEMENT THAT THE ACFT WAS ABSOLUTELY AIRWORTHY, I DECIDED THAT FLYING PAX BACK TO JUNEAU IN THIS ACFT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT WOULD BE AT LEAST AS SAFE AND LESS STRESSFUL THAN HAVING THEM WAIT AN HR OR MORE FOR A REPLACEMENT ACFT. THE SAFETY CONSIDERATION INVOLVED THE PROBABILITY OF FLYING THE TOURISTS BACK TO THE HARBOR IN DIMINISHING DAYLIGHT ON THE REPLACEMENT ACFT. ON ITS RETURN TO THE JUNEAU ARPT MY ACFT WAS GNDED FOR MINOR REPAIRS TO THE ELEVATOR. THE NEXT MORNING BY AM00 MY ACFT AND I WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE TAKU LODGE WITH ANOTHER LOAD OF TOURISTS. COMPANY MGMNT WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS INCIDENT WITHIN AN HR OF ITS OCCURRENCE, AND THE NTSB AND FAA WERE NOTIFIED THE NEXT MORNING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 273459: I THINK THIS 'BUMP' OCCURRED AS A FINAL STEP IN YRS OF FLYING PEOPLE UP AND DOWN THE RIVER SEVERAL TIMES A DAY DURING THE SUMMER. THIS WAS THE SECOND SUMMER WHERE THERE WAS A 25 MIN EMPTY LEG EACH DAY AND OVER THE 2 YRS WE SLOWLY FOUND A WAY TO MAKE USE OF OPPORTUNITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.