- Date
- March 4, 2008, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nikolai, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N404EHBell 206L
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Anchorage, FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20080304012159A
- Case key
- 67620
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and an inadvertent loss of tail rotor effectiveness while maneuvering. A factor contributing to the accident was wind gusts.
Findings · 3
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 maneuvering the helicopter while his passenger filmed a dogsled race. The pilot reported that he was flying along slowly, and a gust of wind caused a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. He said the helicopter started to turn to the right, and he reduced collective pitch and followed the turn to regain control. During the maneuver he said he was losing altitude and approaching terrain. He said a second gust caused a further loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and as the helicopter rotated the tail rotor struck a tree, and the helicopter impacted the ground. He said there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident. The helicopter was not examined by the NTSB.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 2008, about 1630 Alaska standard time, a Bell 206L helicopter, N404EH, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain, following a loss of control while maneuvering, about 59 miles southeast of Nikolai, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) aerial photography flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated pilot and sole passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on March 5, the pilot said he was maneuvering the helicopter while his passenger filmed a dogsled race, when the helicopter impacted terrain. He said there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. The helicopter received structural damage to the fuselage and rotor system during the collision with terrain.
In a written statement dated March 13, the pilot reported that he was flying along slowly, and a gust of wind caused a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. He said the helicopter started to turn to the right, and he reduced collective pitch and followed the turn to regain control. During the maneuver he said he was losing altitude and approaching terrain. He said a second gust caused a further loss of tail rotor effectiveness, and as the helicopter rotated, the tail rotor struck a tree, and the helicopter impacted the ground.
The helicopter was not examined by the NTSB.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N404EH
- Reported as
- Bell 206L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45114
- Airframe hours
- 11,589
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20R12, 450 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- John Oney
- Registered owner
- Blue Sky LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006
- Departed
- PAMC · McGrath, AK
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
- 74
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 3,700 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.