- Date
- March 15, 2005, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N295EWAerospatiale AS350-B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 61484
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 clearance from an object while hover taxiing, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking a sign.
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 solo commercial certificated helicopter pilot was repositioning the helicopter in a parking lot that was being used to load skiers. As the pilot hovered the helicopter, the "door ajar" light illuminated on the enunciator panel, which distracted the pilot's attention momentarily. The helicopter drifted aft, and the main rotor blades struck a sign post. A postaccident inspection of the main rotor blades revealed damage to two of the three main rotor blades. On April 25, it was determined by a repair station that one main rotor blade was unairworthy, and could not be repaired. The operator indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On March 15, 2005, about 0830 Alaska standard time, a skid-equipped Aerospatiale AS350-B2 helicopter, N295EW, operated by Last Frontier Air Ventures as a Title 14, CFR Part 91 positioning flight, sustained substantial damage when the main rotor blades collided with a sign while hover taxiing in a parking lot, about 12 miles east of Valdez, Alaska. The solo commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight procedures were in effect. At the time of the accident, the helicopter was retuning to the Tsina Lodge parking lot after dropping a group of skiers.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 17, the operator's chief pilot reported that the accident pilot had completed an uneventful approach to the Tsina Lodge parking lot, and was attempting to reposition the helicopter in order to board another load of skiers. He said that as the pilot hovered the helicopter, the "door ajar" light illuminated on the enunciator panel, which distracted the pilot's attention momentarily. The helicopter drifted aft, and the main rotor blades struck a sign post. The chief pilot said that a postaccident inspection of the main rotor blades revealed damage to two of the three main rotor blades. The operator indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.
On April 25, it was determined by a repair station that one main rotor blade was unairworthy, and could not be repaired.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N295EW
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS350-B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2095
- Engine
- Turbomeca 1D1, 712 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Last Frontier Air Ventures Ltd
- Registered owner
- Astar N5202D, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Valdez, AK
- Destination
- Valdez, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,200 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 6,800 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 36 °F