- Date
- September 28, 2008, 10:57 local (18:57 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N352EVEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 11, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20080928848509A
- Case key
- 69343
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 tail rotor clearance from the safety netting during final approach and landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was making a positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had shuttled passengers to an oil platform, and was returning to pick them up. He said as he approached the platform helipad, the tail rotor struck the safety netting surrounding the landing area. The pilot said there were no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident, but that the tail rotor gearbox and tail boom were substantially damaged during the accident.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was making a positoning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had shuttled passengers to an oil platform, and was returning to pick them up. He said as he approached the platform helipad, the tail rotor struck the safety netting surrounding the landing area. The pilot said there were no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident, but that the tail rotor gearbox and tail boom were substantially damaged during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N352EV
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2555
- Airframe hours
- 3,055
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1SER, 681 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Evergreen Helicopter Inc., doing business as Evergreen Helicopters Alaska
- Registered owner
- Cfs Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 11, 2008
- Departed
- Kenai, AK
- Destination
- Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 14,224 total · 210 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.