- Date
- October 12, 2004, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N166EHEurocopter France AS-350B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA, Juneau Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20041012032279A
- Case key
- 60575
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 landing, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking a tree.
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 air taxi helicopter pilot was taking a passenger to a remote landing site. During the landing approach, the helicopter's main rotor blades inadvertently struck a tree. The helicopter landed without further mishap, but inspection of the main rotor blades disclosed that the blades were damaged beyond repair.
Factual narrative
On October 12, 2004, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a skid-equipped Eurocopter AS-350B2 helicopter, N166EH, operated by Era Aviation, Inc., as an on-demand Title 14, CFR Part 135 flight, sustained substantial damage when the main rotor blades collided with a tree while landing at a remote site, about 15 miles southeast of Ketchikan, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot and the one passenger were not injured. The local flight operated in visual meteorological conditions, and a company VFR flight plan was in effect. The flight departed Ketchikan about 0730.
The operator reported that the pilot had been ferrying passengers between remote sites in mountainous and thickly forested areas throughout the morning. On the last landing, the pilot reported he noticed damage to the main rotor blades. He said he was uncertain of when the damage occurred, but the operator noted it likely happened on his last landing, and it appears that the blades struck a tree, or a tree stump. The operator indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.
On November 16, it was determined by a repair station that all three main rotor blades were unairworthy, and could not be repaired.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N166EH
- Reported as
- Eurocopter France AS-350B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2194
- Airframe hours
- 7,334
- Engine
- Turbomeca 1D1, 712 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Era Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 19, 2004 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- Ketchikan, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,319 total · 1,585 in this make and model · 3,140 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 126 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.