- Date
- February 7, 2002, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Girdwood, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6080DAerospatiale AS350-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 26, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-JNU FSDO 05
- Case key
- 54293
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 distance from a radio antenna during landing. A factor was the presence of an antenna.
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 commercial certificated pilot was transporting a radio techinian to a remote radio repeater site in a helicopter. The area near the repeater site was snow covered. During the landing, one main rotor blade on the accident helicopter struck a radio antenna. The pilot was not aware of any collision with the antenna at the time of the landing, but discovered damage to a main rotor blade later in the day. The damaged rotor blade was removed and a replacement blade installed. The damaged rotor blade was returned to the manufacturer in France for repair.
Factual narrative
On February 7, 2002, about 1500 Alaska standard time, a skid-equipped Aerospatiale AS350-B helicopter, N6080D, sustained substantial damage during landing at a remote radio repeater site near Girdwood, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules, local area on-demand passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The helicopter was operated by Coastal Helicopters Inc., Juneau, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. VFR company flight following procedures were in effect.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Juneau Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported that one main rotor blade on the accident helicopter struck a radio antenna at the repeater site.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on March 4, 2002, the company president reported the pilot landed the helicopter on snow-covered terrain adjacent to the repeater site to deliver a radio technician. The president said the pilot was not aware of any collision with an antenna at the time of the landing, but discovered damage to a main rotor blade later in the day.
The damaged rotor blade was removed and a replacement blade installed. The damaged rotor blade was returned to the manufacturer in France for repair.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6080D
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS350-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2054
- Airframe hours
- 6,214
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D, 684 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Coastal Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 15, 2001 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- AQY · Girdwood, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- October 25, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 1,600 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.