20190610006589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · S M & T UH-1B · Northway, AK · June 10, 2019

Date: June 10, 2019 · 12:00 local
Place: Northway, AK
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N64771
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA19CA345
Reported as: S M & T UH-1B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,365 total10 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N64771Registration cancelled Sep 18, 2020 · S M & T UH-1BS/N 63-8704 · Built 1963 Airframe modelS M & T UH-1B Engine modelLycoming T-53 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.

Crew was hauling an internal load of fuel at close to gross weight of the helicopter approximately 35 miles north east of Northway Alaska. privacy data omitted Had the controls upon approach to the landing zone. The landing zone was approximately 100 square feet in rising terrain. There was another helicopter parked on one side of the landing zone and trees on the other. privacy data omitted And privacy data omitted reported that at 70 feet the helicopters rate of descent started to increase dramatically. As the sink rate increased privacy data omitted applied full power and collective to slow the rate of descent. The helicopter settled with power and landed hard on the right skid. The aircraft then bounced and rolled onto its left side. Main rotor blades and main transmission departed the aircraft. The tail boom and tail rotor system were in tact after the crash. Minor injuries sustained by both pilots.

As the FAA filed it

CREW WAS HAULING AN INTERNAL LOAD OF FUEL AT CLOSE TO GROSS WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES NORTH EAST OF NORTHWAY ALASKA. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD THE CONTROLS UPON APPROACH TO THE LANDING ZONE. THE LANDING ZONE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 SQUARE FEET IN RISING TERRAIN. THERE WAS ANOTHER HELICOPTER PARKED ON ONE SIDE OF THE LANDING ZONE AND TREES ON THE OTHER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED THAT AT 70 FEET THE HELICOPTERS RATE OF DESCENT STARTED TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY. AS THE SINK RATE INCREASED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPLIED FULL POWER AND COLLECTIVE TO SLOW THE RATE OF DESCENT. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED WITH POWER AND LANDED HARD ON THE RIGHT SKID. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BOUNCED AND ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND MAIN TRANSMISSION DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM WERE IN TACT AFTER THE CRASH. MINOR INJURIES SUSTAINED BY BOTH PILOTS.

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 GAA19CA345Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportNorthway, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing, which resulted in impact with terrain.Jun 10, 2019 · Substantial damage