- Date
- March 15, 2022, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK · Mountainous snow covered
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N99676Eurocopter AS 350 BA
- Defining event
- Approach: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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- Juneau Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20220315000899A
- Case key
- 104788
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 a proper approach path in flat light conditions, which resulted in landing short of the intended landing spot and impact with terrain.
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 pilot reported that the helicopter was being used to transport skiers in support of a commercial Heli-ski operation when the helicopter inadvertently collided with terrain while maneuvering to land on the glacier. The pilot stated that while on approach to an area to pick up a group of skiers, flat light conditions made it difficult to discern topographical features on the snow-covered, featureless, glacial terrain. The pilot said that during the approach, he inadvertently allowed the helicopter to descend below his intended approach path, and the helicopter touched down short of his intended landing site. The helicopter subsequently rolled to the left and the main rotor blades struck the snow-covered terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, tail rotor blades, tail boom, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99676
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 BA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1542
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 16,258
- Engine
- Honeywell LTS101-600A3A, 732 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 135
- Operator
- Alpine Air Alaska LLC
- Registered owner
- Alpine Air Alaska LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 16, 2022 · 39.6 hours before
- Departed
- 16 Mile, AK
- Destination
- Tsania Valley, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, 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
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 9,779 total · 9,978 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.47 inHg
- Observed at
- PAVD, 13 nm away
- METAR
- PAVD 152356Z 26005KT 8SM FEW034 BKN048 OVC065 M02/M09 A2947 RMK AO2 SLP980 VCSH SE-NW 6//// T10221089 11011 21106 51009
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.