AAIB investigation to De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, VP-FBC
De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter (VP-FBC), collision with obstacle on takeoff, Mount Lymburner, Antarctica, 23 January 2023
On departure from an unprepared landing site the nose landing gear of the aircraft struck a small ice ridge. Once airborne, the commander noticed that attitude information was misaligned and there was some minor disruption within the cockpit near the rudder pedals. He diverted to an unmanned landing site nearby where he assessed the damage. Considering that the aircraft was safe to fly he flew the aircraft to a field station, two hours flight time to the north.
On landing at the field station, further damage was found to have occurred to the nose fairing around the landing gear and the lower bulkhead forward of the cockpit.
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