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19980330008049A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Snias AS350B · Soldotna, AK · March 30, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 30, 1998 · 11:30 local
Place
Soldotna, AK
Airport
Soldotna
Phase of flight
Practice Training Manuevers
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
R4AC
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N158EH
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC98LA032
Reported as
Snias AS350B
Reported engine
TMECA ARRIEL1B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,000 total500 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N158EHRegistration cancelled Oct 28, 2008 · Eurocopter AS 350 BAS/N 2055 · Built 1987Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 BAEngine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-shaft

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.

Practice for check ride. Slope landings. Rolled left and over. Impacted inverted. (From .4) the certificated commercial helicopter pilot was practicing slope landings in preparation for an upcoming check ride. On the same day of the accident, about 4 hours after the accident, the pilot reported that he was positioning the helicopter close to the hill in order to start the maneuver. The next thing the pilot recalls, the helicopter had rolled to its left, and was upside down and on top of the hill that he was attempting to land beside. The day following the accident, the pilot again contacted the NTSB investigator-in-charge and stated that he now suspected that the tail rotor drive shaft became disengaged, and caused the accident. The forward tail rotor shaft assembly, and a portion of the adjoining rear tail rotor drive shaft were retained by the NTSB, and sent to the NTSB materials laboratory for inspection. The inspection discovered no evidence of an in-flight disengagement of the tail rotor drive shaft assembly prior to impact.

As the FAA filed it

PRACTICE FOR CHECK RIDE. SLOPE LANDINGS. ROLLED LEFT AND OVER. IMPACTED INVERTED. (FROM .4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT WAS PRACTICING SLOPE LANDINGS IN PREPARATION FOR AN UPCOMING CHECK RIDE. ON THE SAME DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, ABOUT 4 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS POSITIONING THE HELICOPTER CLOSE TO THE HILL IN ORDER TO START THE MANEUVER. THE NEXT THING THE PILOT RECALLS, THE HELICOPTER HAD ROLLED TO ITS LEFT, AND WAS UPSIDE DOWN AND ON TOP OF THE HILL THAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND BESIDE. THE DAY FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT AGAIN CONTACTED THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE AND STATED THAT HE NOW SUSPECTED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT BECAME DISENGAGED, AND CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE FORWARD TAIL ROTOR SHAFT ASSEMBLY, AND A PORTION OF THE ADJOINING REAR TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WERE RETAINED BY THE NTSB, AND SENT TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY FOR INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION DISCOVERED NO EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY PRIOR TO IMPACT.

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 ANC98LA032Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSoldotna, AKThe pilot's inadvertent dynamic rollover while performing a slope landing. Factors associated with the accident are the presence of rough and uneven terrain, and the pilot's improper slope landing technique.Mar 30, 1998 · Substantial damage