What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 7, 2024, about 0924 Alaska daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, privacy data omitted, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska. A passenger was fatally injured, the pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 135 flight.
The accident helicopter, was transporting four passengers to a sport fishing camp located to the south of the King Salmon Airport (akn).
Weather conditions at akn at the time of the accident were reported to be, in part: wind 170° at 5 knots; visibility ¼ mile with fog; indefinite ceiling of 200 feet.
The accident pilot contacted the akn control tower specialist on duty to request a special visual flight rules (svfr) clearance to depart to the south. The controller on duty issued the pilot a svfr clearance and instructed the pilot to report clear of the class d airspace to the south. The helicopter then departed to the south.
Shortly after the helicopter departed, the control tower specialist received a phone call from an observer to the south of the airport indicating that a helicopter had just crashed into the naknek river, near grassy point. The control tower specialist then attempted to reach the departing helicopter, but no further radio communications were received.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2024, ABOUT 0924 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR KING SALMON, ALASKA. A PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED, THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 FLIGHT.
THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER, WAS TRANSPORTING FOUR PASSENGERS TO A SPORT FISHING CAMP LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THE KING SALMON AIRPORT (AKN).
WEATHER CONDITIONS AT AKN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE, IN PART: WIND 170° AT 5 KNOTS; VISIBILITY ¼ MILE WITH FOG; INDEFINITE CEILING OF 200 FEET.
THE ACCIDENT PILOT CONTACTED THE AKN CONTROL TOWER SPECIALIST ON DUTY TO REQUEST A SPECIAL VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (SVFR) CLEARANCE TO DEPART TO THE SOUTH. THE CONTROLLER ON DUTY ISSUED THE PILOT A SVFR CLEARANCE AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO REPORT CLEAR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE TO THE SOUTH. THE HELICOPTER THEN DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH.
SHORTLY AFTER THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED, THE CONTROL TOWER SPECIALIST RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM AN OBSERVER TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT INDICATING THAT A HELICOPTER HAD JUST CRASHED INTO THE NAKNEK RIVER, NEAR GRASSY POINT. THE CONTROL TOWER SPECIALIST THEN ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE DEPARTING HELICOPTER, BUT NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WERE RECEIVED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.