19990910046629A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Snias AS350B2 · Juneau, AK · September 10, 1999

Date: September 10, 1999 · 16:45 local
Place: Juneau, AK
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: HXSA
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N6099Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC99LA141
Reported as: Snias AS350B2
Fatal injuries: 0

N6099YRegistration cancelled Nov 5, 2001 · Eurocopter AS 350 B2 ECUREUILS/N 2847 · Built 1995 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B2 ECUREUIL Engine 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.

(-23) Aircraft was searching for a company overdue helicopter when the pilot heard that another company helicopter involved in the search had crashed. After a period of searching, Mr. Hehr located the downed helicopter, and loaded the uninjured pilot and passenger into his helicopter. They departed the crash site and continued the search for the initial missing helicopter. Mr. Hehr searched for about 30 minutes before spotting the initial helicopter crash site. On the enroute to the location, the helicopter struck a snow-covered ice ridge. The helicopter skids impacted first, causing the ship to somersault.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS SEARCHING FOR A COMPANY OVERDUE HELICOPTER WHEN THE PILOT HEARD THAT ANOTHER COMPANY HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH HAD CRASHED. AFTER A PERIOD OF SEARCHING, MR. HEHR LOCATED THE DOWNED HELICOPTER, AND LOADED THE UNINJURED PILOT AND PASSENGER INTO HIS HELICOPTER. THEY DEPARTED THE CRASH SITE AND CONTINUED THE SEARCH FOR THE INITIAL MISSING HELICOPTER. MR. HEHR SEARCHED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE SPOTTING THE INITIAL HELICOPTER CRASH SITE. ON THE ENROUTE TO THE LOCATION, THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A SNOW-COVERED ICE RIDGE. THE HELICOPTER SKIDS IMPACTED FIRST, CAUSING THE SHIP TO SOMERSAULT.

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 ANC99LA141Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportJuneau, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance. Factors associated with the accident were flat light conditions, snow-covered terrain, and self-induced pressure to continue the search.Sep 11, 1999 · Substantial damage