20170522005739A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Eurocopter France AS350B2 · Juneau, AK · May 22, 2017

Date
May 22, 2017 · 18:00 local
Place
Juneau, AK
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
XCHA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N207CH
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC17LA025
Reported as
Eurocopter France AS350B2
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
3
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,930 total1,772 in this make and model127 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.

Aircraft departed dogsled camp following the right side down the glacier maintaining visual reference with the rock wall. Approximately 3/4 of a mile down the glacier from camp the aircraft encountered fog at a bend in the glacier, PIC elected to do a slow turn towards the rocks when the aircraft impacted the snow. Aircraft came to rest inverted on the glacier with the cabin mostly intact. PIC was not able to retard the stuck fuel control lever, the fuel shut off was pulled and the main battery switch tuned off. All passengers were able to depart the aircraft on their own except for one who's seatbelt was cut by the PIC.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DOGSLED CAMP FOLLOWING THE RIGHT SIDE DOWN THE GLACIER MAINTAINING VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE ROCK WALL. APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A MILE DOWN THE GLACIER FROM CAMP THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED FOG AT A BEND IN THE GLACIER, PIC ELECTED TO DO A SLOW TURN TOWARDS THE ROCKS WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE SNOW. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INVERTED ON THE GLACIER WITH THE CABIN MOSTLY INTACT. PIC WAS NOT ABLE TO RETARD THE STUCK FUEL CONTROL LEVER, THE FUEL SHUT OFF WAS PULLED AND THE MAIN BATTERY SWITCH TUNED OFF. ALL PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN EXCEPT FOR ONE WHO'S SEATBELT WAS CUT BY THE PIC.

NTSB investigation

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