- Date
- February 22, 2006, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4038MRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20060222003289A
- Case key
- 63261
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's decision to land the helicopter on an icy airport parking ramp, which resulted in a loss of control on touchdown, and subsequent collision with another parked and unoccupied helicopter.
Analysis
The private pilot had completed a short cross-country Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight and was landing her helicopter at a designated helicopter parking area at a tower controlled airport. She stated that she made two passes over the proposed landing area, and noted that it looked very icy and slick. She did not see any other suitable landing area in the immediate vicinity, and elected to land about 50 feet from another helicopter. Upon landing, she said her helicopter began to slide on the icy surface, skidding in a circular fashion towards a parked and unoccupied helicopter. Her helicopter collided with the parked helicopter before she could stop the main rotor blades, resulting in substantial damage to her helicopter's main rotor blades.
Factual narrative
The private pilot had completed a short cross-country Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight and was landing her helicopter at a designated helicopter parking area at a tower controlled airport. She stated that she made two passes over the proposed landing area, and noted that it looked very icy and slick. She did not see any other suitable landing area in the immediate vicinity, and elected to land about 50 feet from another helicopter. Upon landing, she said her helicopter began to slide on the icy surface, skidding in a circular fashion towards a parked and unoccupied helicopter. Her helicopter collided with the parked helicopter before she could stop the main rotor blades, resulting in substantial damage to her helicopter's main rotor blades.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4038M
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1571M
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Barbara J. Doty
- Registered owner
- Compass Rose, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 252 total · 153 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Observed at
- MRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.