- Date
- May 4, 1982, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tok, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9239FHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19820504013999A
- Case key
- 72825
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting a non-revenue, sling-load operation on mt neuberer, while donating his services to Tok community tv, inc. he stated that he was lifting three empty propane bottles from a snow field when he noticed the auto relight lamp flash. He stated that almost immediately, the engine-out light and horn activated and the load may have contacted the ground. The helicopter began to accelerate forward despite his aft cyclic control input. He stated that he pushed the electric sling release switch. However, the helicopter continued to accelerate forward and down. It hit the ground in a verticle nose down attitude while he was applying almost full aft cyclic. The elevation was about 5800 ft. the electric sling load latch was found in the closed position. The engine was removed and checked on a test stand. Several hung starts occurred at 45 to 50% until a slight adjustment was made to increase fuel flow, then the engine operated well, but about 5% below max power. Pilot lacked FAA approval, ext load opn
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9239F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 350723S
- Airframe hours
- 239
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 278 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Ronald M. & Linda S. Warbelow
- Registered owner
- Ronald M. & Linda S. Warbelow
- Departed
- C · Mt. Neuberger, AK
- Destination
- C · Tanacross, 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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 11,300 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,084 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- 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.