- Date
- April 19, 1985, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N385EHBell BH-206-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850419015859A
- Case key
- 4403
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 in command stated that he was on final approach and at 125 feet AGL, he heard the low RPM audio warning and he immediately entered an autorotation by lowering the collective to the full down position and closing the throttle to the flight idle position. He completed an autorotational landing and he stated his touchdown speed was too fast, so he applied aft cyclic to stop the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N385EH
- Reported as
- Bell BH-206-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1674
- Airframe hours
- 4,766
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Era Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 3, 1984 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- Thompson Pass, AK
- Destination
- VDZ · Valdez, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- VDZ · Valdez, runway 12, 12 × 12 ft, asphalt
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,250 total · 1,306 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VDZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N385EH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.