- Date
- September 6, 2021, 17:40 local (Sep 7, 2021, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK · Healy Lake
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N125KWMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Defining event
- Takeoff: 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210906014469A
- Case key
- 103817
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 inability to maintain lateral control during the takeoff, which resulted in dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to utilize an unsuitable landing area for flight operations.
Findings · 4
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 pilot was transporting personnel from a remote helipad that was constructed of a plastic, floating dock. She was unaware that the helicopter’s right skid had slid under a portion of the plastic dock. As she raised the collective to depart, she felt the helicopter roll to the right, and she attempted to correct the lateral rolling motion by lowering the collective. The helicopter continued to roll and came to rest on its right side. Subsequently, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N125KW
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0336E
- Built
- 1989
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Registered owner
- Aurora Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 5, 2021
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 25, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,921 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,852 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- PABI, 26 nm away
- METAR
- PABI 070153Z 09005KT 10SM SCT022 SCT027 09/03 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP157 T00940028
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.