- Date
- April 6, 1983, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Stony River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N376KABell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830406011239A
- Case key
- 4020
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 plt was on an external load operation with a 100 ft long line. The long line had 4 remote hooks, of which, 3 had cable bags attached. While waiting for the 4th bag to be filled, he decided to land in an open area. He set the external load down & laid the long line out over the ground, 'landing the helicopter when the long line was nearly extended away from the load.' When the 4th bag was ready to be slung out, he lifted off in winds that were gusting to 15 KTS. At a height of about 40 ft, he made a left, rudder turn (x-wind) to better observe his long line. He realized that he was drifting downwind at about the time he thought he detected a power surge. He directed his attention to the eng instruments. At about the same time, the helicopter rolled on its left side & crashed. An exam of the wreckage was made, but no mechancial part failure/malfunction was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N376KA
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 4,494
- Engine
- Allison 250-C-20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Kenai Air Alaska
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 5, 1983 · 2 hours before
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,776 total · 1,957 in this make and model · 5,516 as pilot in command · 234 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.