20130430006769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Umiat, AK · April 30, 2013

Date
April 30, 2013 · 13:30 local
Place
Umiat, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
P3TA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1171
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC13CA041
Reported as
Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
Reported engine
Allison 250 SER 250HP
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
7,250 total3,100 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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 entered low visability snow squall. Decided to set down and wait out weather. Upon landing, lost sight of ground due to blowing snow from rotor, lt skid broke through crust and helo rolled over.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ENTERED LOW VISABILITY SNOW SQUALL. DECIDED TO SET DOWN AND WAIT OUT WEATHER. UPON LANDING, LOST SIGHT OF GROUND DUE TO BLOWING SNOW FROM ROTOR, LT SKID BROKE THROUGH CRUST AND HELO ROLLED OVER.

NTSB investigation

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