# Accident 20250820017389A: Eurocopter AS 350 B3, Skwetna, AK, August 20, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 20, 2025, 14:30 local time
- Place: Skwetna, AK
- Airport: Skwentna
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: 2SYA
- Location: 61.7692° N, 152.9869° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.7692&lon=-152.9869&mi=10
- Aircraft: N589SH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N589SH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 15,500 total, 9,900 in this make and model, 290 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC25LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA097) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250820017389A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AFTER LANDING THE HELICOPTER, THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND LEFT IT IN GROUND IDLE TO RETRIEVE THE LONG LINE THAT HAD JUST BEEN USED. WHILE STANDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER AND RECOILING THE LINE INTO THE BACK AREA, HE PULLED ON THE LINE THAT WAS LYING ON THE GROUND BESIDE THE AIRCRAFT. THE LINE HAD BECOME SNAGGED ON A ROCK, AND WHEN IT RELEASED, THE LIGHTWEIGHT KEVLAR LONG LINE WHIPPED UPWARD AND BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE HELICOPTER’S OPERATING MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, CAUSING A SEVERE ROTOR IMBALANCE AND THE SUBSEQUENT PARTLY SEPARATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC25LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA097), Aug 20, 2025: Airbus Helicopters AS350B3e (N589SH), Skwentna, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent entanglement of a lightweight Kevlar long line into the helicopters operating main rotor system, resulting in a severe imbalance and separation of the main rotor gearbox.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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