What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement:
At approximately 3:20 pm on February 20th, pilot in command privacy data omitted departed thetalkeetna airport (patk) in Robinson 44 helicopter N716JL to drop off cargo and pick up 2 passengers at the sheldon chalet heliport (09AA). The flight was conducted as an FAR 135 flight on a VFR flight plan filed with the Talkeetna flight service station. The patk weather observation at 3:20PM was observed to be sky overcast 6500FT, 10 miles vis, 18F and winds calm.
Flight proceeded following the ruth glacier to the don sheldon amphitheater in good VFR conditions, 8-10 thousand broken, no visible precipitation and light winds. Upon entering the amphitheater light snow developed and decreased vis to 3 miles with a 1000 ft indefinite ceiling. Landing at the heliport was uneventful. Passengers were briefed and loaded with male passenger in the front left seat and female passenger in the left rear. During this time visibility reduced to 2 miles but the rocky gateway area for the amphitheater exit was still visible. After takeoff form the heliport, pilot proceeded via the mountain house east glacial landing area to the rocky peaks at the gateway of the ruth, and descended for the exit. Upon descent the helicopter skipped on the snow surface of the glacier aircraft runway of the ruth glacier at approximately 5500 feet then settled into deep snow and rolled onto the right side. Pilot and passengers exited helicopter uninjured. An hour later a helicopter picked up and transported passengers and pilot, returning to patk at 6:30PM.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT:
AT APPROXIMATELY 3:20 PM ON FEBRUARY 20TH, PILOT IN COMMAND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED THETALKEETNA AIRPORT (PATK) IN ROBINSON 44 HELICOPTER N716JL TO DROP OFF CARGO AND PICK UP 2 PASSENGERS AT THE SHELDON CHALET HELIPORT (09AA). THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AS AN FAR 135 FLIGHT ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FILED WITH THE TALKEETNA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. THE PATK WEATHER OBSERVATION AT 3:20PM WAS OBSERVED TO BE SKY OVERCAST 6500FT, 10 MILES VIS, 18F AND WINDS CALM.
FLIGHT PROCEEDED FOLLOWING THE RUTH GLACIER TO THE DON SHELDON AMPHITHEATER IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS, 8-10 THOUSAND BROKEN, NO VISIBLE PRECIPITATION AND LIGHT WINDS. UPON ENTERING THE AMPHITHEATER LIGHT SNOW DEVELOPED AND DECREASED VIS TO 3 MILES WITH A 1000 FT INDEFINITE CEILING. LANDING AT THE HELIPORT WAS UNEVENTFUL. PASSENGERS WERE BRIEFED AND LOADED WITH MALE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT AND FEMALE PASSENGER IN THE LEFT REAR. DURING THIS TIME VISIBILITY REDUCED TO 2 MILES BUT THE ROCKY GATEWAY AREA FOR THE AMPHITHEATER EXIT WAS STILL VISIBLE. AFTER TAKEOFF FORM THE HELIPORT, PILOT PROCEEDED VIA THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE EAST GLACIAL LANDING AREA TO THE ROCKY PEAKS AT THE GATEWAY OF THE RUTH, AND DESCENDED FOR THE EXIT. UPON DESCENT THE HELICOPTER SKIPPED ON THE SNOW SURFACE OF THE GLACIER AIRCRAFT RUNWAY OF THE RUTH GLACIER AT APPROXIMATELY 5500 FEET THEN SETTLED INTO DEEP SNOW AND ROLLED ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE. PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED HELICOPTER UNINJURED. AN HOUR LATER A HELICOPTER PICKED UP AND TRANSPORTED PASSENGERS AND PILOT, RETURNING TO PATK AT 6:30PM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.