- Date
- January 18, 2001, 10:32 local (14:32 UTC)
- Place
- Tyonek, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N80KABell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010118040009A
- Case key
- 51382
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate tail rotor clearance while maneuvering to land.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airline transport certificated helicopter pilot was transporting oil field personnel to an offshore oil producing platform. The pilot said that wind conditions, in conjunction with various platform mounted obstructions, required that he plan his approach to the left side of the helipad, then "side slip" to the right and over the helipad. He said that as he terminated his approach, and moved the helicopter to the right and over the helipad, the tail rotor struck a handrail that was adjacent to the helipad. The helicopter sustained substantial in-flight damage to the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that wind conditions at the time of the accident were from the northeast at 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On January 18, 2001, about 1032 Alaska standard time, a pop-out float equipped Bell 206L-1 helicopter, N80KA, sustained substantial damage during landing on the Phillips Tyonek Platform, about 6 miles east of Tyonek, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The helicopter was operated by Kenai Air Alaska, Inc., Kenai, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot, and the three passengers aboard, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Kenai Airport, about 0954.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on January 18, the pilot reported the helicopter was landing on the elevated helipad of the offshore oil producing platform. He said that wind conditions, in conjunction with various platform mounted obstructions, required that he plan his approach to the left side of the helipad, then "side slip" to the right and over the helipad. He said that as he terminated his approach, and moved the helicopter to the right and over the helipad, the tail rotor struck a handrail that was adjacent to the helipad. The helicopter sustained substantial in-flight damage to the tail rotor blades, main rotor blades, and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that wind conditions at the time of the accident were from the northeast at 25 knots.
The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80KA
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45688
- Airframe hours
- 7,307.7
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Kenai Air Alaska, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Craig & Kimi Lofstedt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 10, 2001 · 18.1 hours before
- Departed
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Destination
- Tyonek, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,564 total · 163 in this make and model · 2,986 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 25 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.