Ice breaks Twin Otter's nose gear
During a take-off incident from the snow and ice covered Larsen C Glacier, Antarctica, a Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentine Air Force) DHC-6-200 Twin Otter, serial T-87 (construction number 158) suffered substantial damage.
The nose gear ski slammed in a fissure in the ice, broke partly free and the take-off was aborted. The right hand ski was also dislodged when the aircraft came to a stop sideways.
The three on board remained uninjured. A pair of Argentine Air Force Bell 212s, based at Base Antártica Marambio, picked the crew up.
The recovery of the DHC-6, part of Grupo Aéreo de Transporte 9, VI Escuadrón Aéreo de Transporte based at Comodoro Rivadavia/Gral. Mosconi (Cht), is being evaluated, but this is no doubt complicated by the remote location and the old age (1968) of the aircraft.
The Argentine Air Force uses the DHC-6 for various tasks, for example on Arctic duties. In total twelve airframes were received, about half of them as attrition replacement. Five Twin Otters, now four, are are still reported as active.
Photos: Fuerza Aérea Argentina