- Date
- May 16, 1984, 10:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Mckinley Vil, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1078NBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19840516024819A
- Case key
- 4290
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 helicopter experienced an engine failure while cruising at about 600 ft AGL. The pilot made a forced landing during which the main rotor blades collided with trees. Examination of the aircraft fuel system revealed that the check valves located in the fuel lines which transfer fuel from the forward fuel cell to the aft fuel cell were worn and one of the check valves was stuck in the closed position. Further examination of the fuel manifold, which contains two more poppet valves, revealed that one of the poppet particles was found in all of these check valves. With both poppet valves closed, the fuel boost pumps will not supply pressure to the single fuel line, to the fuel pressure transducer or to the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1078N
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45389
- Airframe hours
- 3,209
- Engine
- Detr. Diesel 250-C28B, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Logistics Of Ak Inc.
- Registered owner
- Security Pac. Equip. Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 12, 1984 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- Denali Airstrip, AK
- 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
- 41
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,328 total · 37 in this make and model · 3,050 as pilot in command · 97 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Temperature
- 48 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.