# NTSB ANC02TA077: Bell 212, N5017H, Wasilla, AK, July 16, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: July 15, 2002, 17:40 local (Jul 16, 2002, 01:40 UTC) - Place: Wasilla, AK - Coordinates: 61.598056, -149.659729 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5981&lon=-149.6597&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 6 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 29, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 55349 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC02TA077 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55349/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55349 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02TA077 ## Probable cause The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, and failure to maintain clearance with trees, which resulted in the main rotor blade striking a tree. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, landing - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - congested/confined area - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command (cause) - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The pilot of the public use helicopter was landing a fire fighting crew in a confined, off-airport area near a fire line. During the landing, he unknowingly struck a tree with a main rotor blade, which resulted in substantial damage to the blade. He off-loaded the fire crew, and continued to fly the helicopter for approximately 30 minutes. When he returned to the accident site to recover the fire fighters, they told him that they had discovered a rotor blade strike on a tree. The pilot examined the rotor blades, and found that a main rotor blade had a gash in the skin and internal honeycomb structure. ## Factual narrative On July 15, 2002, about 1740 Alaska daylight time, a Bell 212 helicopter, N5017H, owned by Evergreen Equity, Inc., McMinnville, Oregon, and operated by the State of Alaska under an exclusive use extended contract, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing when a main rotor blade struck a tree. The airline transport certificated pilot and the five passengers aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, public use flight, and company flight-following procedures were in effect. The accident occurred about 4 miles northwest of Wasilla, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on July 15, the director of operations for Evergreen Helicopters, the provider of the helicopter and the pilot, related that the pilot told him he unknowingly struck a tree while landing in a confined area near a fire line with five fire fighters aboard. He departed the landing site and continued to fly the accident helicopter for approximately 30 minutes. When he landed again at the accident site, the fire fighters told the pilot they discovered that he had struck a tree on his previous landing. The pilot inspected the main rotor blades, and found a gash in the skin of one blade that penetrated into the blade's honeycomb structure. The NTSB investigator-in-charge was able to inspect the accident helicopter's rotor blades after they were removed from the helicopter and returned to Anchorage, Alaska. The damaged blade had an approximate 10-inch lengthwise tear that penetrated into the honeycomb structure of the blade. A subsequent discussion with personnel at the helicopter blade repair shop repairing the blade, disclosed that the damaged portions of the honeycomb structure and blade skin were removed, and replaced with new honeycomb and blade skin. ## Aircraft - Registration: N5017H (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Bell 212 - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 30930 - Airframe hours: 10093 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3 900 horsepower turbo shaft; Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3 900 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft, Public use - Operator: State of Alaska - Registered owner: Evergreen Equity, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 16, 2002, 39 hours before - Departed: Wasilla, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 9, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 9,760 total, 1,160 in this make and model, 8,660 as pilot in command, 77 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 45° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020715017389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020715017389A), Jul 15, 2002: Bell 212, Biglake, AK, No damage. (-23) A Bell 212 helicopter, N5017H, operated by the evergreen helicopters of Alaska, inc., under contract to the state of Alaska for fire fighting activities,… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55349. 828 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 751 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40461739&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Main Rotor Blade Damage Assessment (item 2, .PDF, 76 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40461740&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Main%20Rotor%20Blade%20Damage%20Assessment-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.