c/n 415

UB658 • 4658 

N321KA

x

• UB658 Burmese Air Force. Delivered 30-Nov-1961.

•4658 Re serialled after change of country name to Myanmar. Date unknown. Operated with Transport Squadron at Mingaladon AFB.

• Un-regd Trevor Ross, Vancouver, BC. Purchased arriving early Dec-1969.

Note Stored in Aeroflite Industries hangar at the Vancouver International Airport and offered for sale.

• N321KA Ketchum Air Service Inc., Anchorage, AK.

Note: Rebuilt by Aeroflite Industries at Vancouver.

Accident: Nikabuna Lake, AK. 19-Aug-1993. The float equipped aircraft experienced a non- mechanical loss of engine power during climb from Nikabuna Lake. The pilot executed a forced landing on a small pond, and the airplane overran the water area into woodland and caught fire. Pilot and five passengers survived.

• Destroyed by Fire •

Otter 415 was delivered to the Union of Burma Air Force on 30th November 1961 with serial UB658. The Air Force took delivery of nine Otters, three in December 1958 and a further batch of six in 1960/61. All were packed into crates and shipped to Burma where they were re-assembled and entered service. Burma was subsequently re-named Myanmar. Its Air Force aircraft were re- serialled, adopting Burmese numerals equivalent of the old serial with a '4' prefix and deleting the UB. Thus, UB658 became 4658, depicted on the side of the aircraft in Burmese numerals.

The Burmese Otters were withdrawn from service in 1985 and stored. In 1989, six of the Otters were purchased by Mr Trevor Ross of Vancouver. Five were located at Mingaladon Air Base and one at Hmawbi Air Base. All six were shipped to Vancouver, where they were stored in the Aeroflite Industries hangar at the Vancouver International Airport and offered for sale. They had all arrived in Vancouver by early December 1989. The buyer of Otter 415 was Ketchum Air Service Inc of Anchorage, Alaska and it was rebuilt for its new owner by Aeroflite Industries at Vancouver and registered N321KA to Ketchum Air Service. It was at Vancouver on 16th March 1990 painted in full Ketchum colour scheme, and ready for delivery.

The Otter was to fly for Ketchum Air Service, based at Lake Hood, Anchorage for three and a half years, until it crashed at Nikabuna Lake, Alaska on 19th August 1993. To quote from the accident report: “The on-demand fishing / hunting charter air carrier pilot experienced a total loss of power and landed on a small lake. During the ground run following the emergency landing, an oil fed fire destroyed the aircraft. Investigators found inadequate flight-following documentation and fuel records or maintenance records for the aircraft. Passenger witnesses reported low fuel gauges prior to take off. Fuel pump examination indicated fuel starvation”.

Full history up to 2005 courtesy of Karl E Hayes © from DHC-3 Otter - A History (CD-ROM 2005)