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19970820023199A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Dillingham, AK · August 20, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 20, 1997 · 20:10 local
Place
Dillingham, AK
Phase of flight
Scud Running
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
EHAA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N18FH
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC97GA126
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
13,400 total4,000 in this make and model208 in the last 90 days
N18FHRegistration cancelled Dec 15, 2003 · Bell 206BS/N 2599 · Built 1979Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(From .19) helicopter crashed. (From .4) the helicopter departed a mountaintop site, in near zero visibility, with clouds, rain and strong winds. The pilot was attempting to hover down the mountain until clear of the clouds. The passenger seated behind the pilot had his arm out the rear window, holding the pilot's door open as the pilot leaned out to see the ground. The front seat passenger disconnected his shoulder harness prior to departure, so he could wipe fog off the inside of the pilot's windshield. The pilot disconnected his shoulder harness so he could lean out to maintain visual sight of the ground. The helicopter did not have a functioning hot air windshield defogger system. It had a cabin heater, which was not used. The helicopter was airborne about five minutes prior to impacting a ridge. None of the survivors saw the surrounding terrain until just before impact. The pilot was fatally injured, the front seat passenger was seriously injured, and the two rear seat passengers sustained minor injuries. The takeoff site was equipped with a survival shelter, heater, stove and sleeping bags. The passengers would not be reimbursed by their employer for lodging if they stayed in the shelter. They would be reimbursed for hotel accomodations if they flew to town.

As the FAA filed it

(FROM .19) HELICOPTER CRASHED. (FROM .4) THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED A MOUNTAINTOP SITE, IN NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY, WITH CLOUDS, RAIN AND STRONG WINDS. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO HOVER DOWN THE MOUNTAIN UNTIL CLEAR OF THE CLOUDS. THE PASSENGER SEATED BEHIND THE PILOT HAD HIS ARM OUT THE REAR WINDOW, HOLDING THE PILOT'S DOOR OPEN AS THE PILOT LEANED OUT TO SEE THE GROUND. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER DISCONNECTED HIS SHOULDER HARNESS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, SO HE COULD WIPE FOG OFF THE INSIDE OF THE PILOT'S WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT DISCONNECTED HIS SHOULDER HARNESS SO HE COULD LEAN OUT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SIGHT OF THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER DID NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING HOT AIR WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER SYSTEM. IT HAD A CABIN HEATER, WHICH WAS NOT USED. THE HELICOPTER WAS AIRBORNE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO IMPACTING A RIDGE. NONE OF THE SURVIVORS SAW THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN UNTIL JUST BEFORE IMPACT. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE TWO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE TAKEOFF SITE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SURVIVAL SHELTER, HEATER, STOVE AND SLEEPING BAGS. THE PASSENGERS WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED BY THEIR EMPLOYER FOR LODGING IF THEY STAYED IN THE SHELTER. THEY WOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS IF THEY FLEW TO TOWN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97GA126Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportDillingham, AKThe pilot's intentional VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Factors associated with the accident are the pilot's failure to activate the cabin heating system, the lack of an operable windshield defogger, the pilot's overconfidence in…Aug 21, 1997 · Destroyed