20110923023089A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Seward, AK · September 23, 2011

Date: September 23, 2011 · 11:15 local
Place: Seward, AK
Airport: Seward
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: P3TA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N204PA
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC11TA110
Reported as: Bell 206B
Reported engine: Allison 250 SER 400HP
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,820 total350 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N204PARegistration cancelled Mar 18, 2022 · Bell 206-L4S/N 52276 · Built 2003 Airframe modelBell 206-L4 Engine modelAllison 250-C30 seriesTurbo-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.

Pilot stated that he was trying to reach his next landing site on the glacier and at first he could see under the overcast. As he progressed out over the glacier the visibility kept getting much worse and he slowed the helicopter to 20KTS and 100' of altitude. Helicopter flew into the surface of the glacier(cfit) because helo was lower than the 100 feet the pilot thought it was.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO REACH HIS NEXT LANDING SITE ON THE GLACIER AND AT FIRST HE COULD SEE UNDER THE OVERCAST. AS HE PROGRESSED OUT OVER THE GLACIER THE VISIBILITY KEPT GETTING MUCH WORSE AND HE SLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO 20KTS AND 100' OF ALTITUDE. HELICOPTER FLEW INTO THE SURFACE OF THE GLACIER(CFIT) BECAUSE HELO WAS LOWER THAN THE 100 FEET THE PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS.

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 ANC11TA110Accident · No injuriesFinal reportSeward, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from snow-covered terrain during hover in deteriorating weather and flat light conditions, which resulted in a tail rotor strike.Sep 23, 2011 · Substantial damage