What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 12, 2009, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, an aerospatiale AS-350 B2 helicopter, N208CH, operated by coastal helicopters, juneau, Alaska as a part 91 positioning flight to pick up skiers, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a snow-covered glacier, about 32 miles northwest of Haines, Alaska. The solo airline transport certificated pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was in effect. The pilot stated he had been taking skiers to various locations in the general area of the accident to ski down the slopes, and would then pick them up at the bottom. The flight to the little jarvis glacier was not the pilot's first landing at this site the day of the accident, but he approached it from a slightly different direction and at a shallower angle than previously. The pilot stated he flew into a small, unseen rise on the glacier, hit hard, bounced about 5 feet into the air, and spun about the vertical axis three times before descending onto the glacier near the initial impact point. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident. The pilot stated he had just flown from bright sunshine into shadow, and due to the all white surface of the glacier and flat lighting conditions, he was unable to accurately gauge his height above the glacier. The aircraft was radar altimeter equipped.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 12, 2009, ABOUT 1800 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350 B2 HELICOPTER, N208CH, OPERATED BY COASTAL HELICOPTERS, JUNEAU, ALASKA AS A PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT TO PICK UP SKIERS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW-COVERED GLACIER, ABOUT 32 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAINES, ALASKA. THE SOLO AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS IN EFFECT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD BEEN TAKING SKIERS TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THE ACCIDENT TO SKI DOWN THE SLOPES, AND WOULD THEN PICK THEM UP AT THE BOTTOM. THE FLIGHT TO THE LITTLE JARVIS GLACIER WAS NOT THE PILOT'S FIRST LANDING AT THIS SITE THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, BUT HE APPROACHED IT FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND AT A SHALLOWER ANGLE THAN PREVIOUSLY. THE PILOT STATED HE FLEW INTO A SMALL, UNSEEN RISE ON THE GLACIER, HIT HARD, BOUNCED ABOUT 5 FEET INTO THE AIR, AND SPUN ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS THREE TIMES BEFORE DESCENDING ONTO THE GLACIER NEAR THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD JUST FLOWN FROM BRIGHT SUNSHINE INTO SHADOW, AND DUE TO THE ALL WHITE SURFACE OF THE GLACIER AND FLAT LIGHTING CONDITIONS, HE WAS UNABLE TO ACCURATELY GAUGE HIS HEIGHT ABOVE THE GLACIER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RADAR ALTIMETER EQUIPPED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.