What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 28, 2018, about 1055 Alaska daylight time, an Airbus helicopters AS350-B3E, impacted shallow water on a beach in glacier bay national park about 60 miles northwest of Gustavus, Alaska. The co-pilot was fatally injured, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and the pilot and one other passenger are missing. The helicopter was registered to chinilna equipment LLC and operated by a private individual under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from the juneau international airport (jnu) juneau, Alaska, and was en route to yakutat airport (yak), yakutat, Alaska.
According to the family members, the intention of the trip was to deliver the helicopter from Airbus helicopters factory in grand prairie, TX, to his home in anchorage, AK. The left seat pilot was onboard for insurance coverage purposes. The privacy data omitted pilot planned to drop off the left seat pilot in wasilla, AK, then proceed home to anchorage. The accident leg originated from juneau where the helicopter was refueled by aero services.
The accident flight departed juneau and proceeded west over the mountains 3,000 to 4,000 ft and then north along the coast line about 500 to 700 ft. the last known GPS point was 58.5 x -137.3833, 8.5 nautical miles (NM) southeast of the accident site. The helicopter was 500 ft above ground level (AGL) while flying above the beach.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 28, 2018, ABOUT 1055 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS350-B3E, IMPACTED SHALLOW WATER ON A BEACH IN GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF GUSTAVUS, ALASKA. THE CO-PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED, ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE PILOT AND ONE OTHER PASSENGER ARE MISSING. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO CHINILNA EQUIPMENT LLC AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM THE JUNEAU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (JNU) JUNEAU, ALASKA, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO YAKUTAT AIRPORT (YAK), YAKUTAT, ALASKA.
ACCORDING TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS, THE INTENTION OF THE TRIP WAS TO DELIVER THE HELICOPTER FROM AIRBUS HELICOPTERS FACTORY IN GRAND PRAIRIE, TX, TO HIS HOME IN ANCHORAGE, AK. THE LEFT SEAT PILOT WAS ONBOARD FOR INSURANCE COVERAGE PURPOSES. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT PLANNED TO DROP OFF THE LEFT SEAT PILOT IN WASILLA, AK, THEN PROCEED HOME TO ANCHORAGE. THE ACCIDENT LEG ORIGINATED FROM JUNEAU WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS REFUELED BY AERO SERVICES.
THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED JUNEAU AND PROCEEDED WEST OVER THE MOUNTAINS 3,000 TO 4,000 FT AND THEN NORTH ALONG THE COAST LINE ABOUT 500 TO 700 FT. THE LAST KNOWN GPS POINT WAS 58.5 X -137.3833, 8.5 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE HELICOPTER WAS 500 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) WHILE FLYING ABOVE THE BEACH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.