- Date
- August 30, 2021, 17:30 local (Aug 31, 2021, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pelican, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N779DZRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Roll over
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210830014029A
- Case key
- 103783
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 loss of control while landing on a remote helipad.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was landing the helicopter on a remote helipad. After touchdown, he lowered the collective and the helicopter rolled backwards sustaining substantial damage to the main rotor system, fuselage, and tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation, and that the accident may have been prevented if he had received additional training from the company to include landing on different size helipads, and techniques to ensure the helicopter was safely on the helipad before completely lowering the collective.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N779DZ
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10149
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 3,438
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Helicopter Air Alaska LLC
- Registered owner
- Pollux Aviation Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 20, 2021
- Departed
- Sitka, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 29, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,772 total · 496 in this make and model · 2,696 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEL, 5 nm away
- METAR
- PAEL 310051Z 27008KT 20SM BKN010 13/11 A3003 RMK SPB E27012KT SEA 0 SWELL 2 SW NOSPECI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N779DZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.