- Date
- July 14, 1982, 20:52 local (Jul 15, 1982, 04:52 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4966Aerospatiale SA-318C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 72629
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 reported that after takeoff, at an altitude of 200 feet, the aircraft began a moderate vibration. When the aircraft was leveled off and the power reduced, the vibration stopped. The pilot continued the flight and during a climb turn at approximately 700 feet the vibration began again with more intensity. During landing the right front landing skid tube broke causing the rotor blades to flex and contact the tail boom. Examination of the aircraft revealed one rotor blade had shredded inflight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4966
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA-318C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2227
- Airframe hours
- 2,573
- Engine
- Turbomeca ASTAZOU IIA, 542 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- Ron Fisher
- Registered owner
- Ron Fisher
- Departed
- SKW · Skwentna, AK
- Destination
- SKW · Skwentna, AK
- Airport
- SKW · Skwentna, runway 27, 3,500 × 150 ft, gravel
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,080 total · 79 in this make and model · 2,080 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
Other investigations on N4966 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.