- Date
- May 24, 1988, 19:46 local (May 25, 1988, 03:46 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingham, AK
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 21, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA reports
- 19880524015852A19880524015851A
- Case key
- 4955
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
A Cessna 206 airplane and an aerospatiale AS350D helicopter collided in midair one-half mile south of the Dillingham airport, Dillingham, AK. Both aircraft had been communicating with the Dillingham flight service station and had received the appropriate flight advisories. The Cessna was practicing landings, and had just departed runway 19 when it was struck from the left side at an altitude of approximately 400' AGL. The helicopter was on a 14 CFR part 135 cargo only flight, and was in level cruise or a slight climb at the time of the accident. Witnesses related that neither aircraft took evasive action prior to impact. The helicopter's main rotor hub and tail boom separated prior to ground impact, and the Cessna's tail section separated and right wing folded prior to ground impact. Tail rotor blade strikes were visible on the bottom and right side of the Cessna, and main rotor blade strikes were visible on the right side of the fuselage.
A Cessna 206 airplane and an aerospatiale AS350D helicopter collided in midair one-half mile south of the Dillingham airport, Dillingham AK. Both aircraft had been communicating with the Dillingham flight service station and had received the appropriate flight advisories. The Cessna was practicing landings, and had just departed runway 19 when it was struck from the left side at an altitude of approximately 400' AGL. The helicopter was on a 14 CFR part 135 cargo only flight, and was in level cruise or a slight climb at the time of the accident. Witnesses related that neither aircraft took evasive action prior to impact. The helicopter's main rotor hub and tail boom separated prior to ground impact, and the Cessna's tail section separated and right wing folded prior to ground impact. Tail rotor blade strikes were visible on the bottom and right side of the Cessna, and main rotor blade strikes were visible on the right side of the fuselage.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N4882U
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20605140
- Airframe hours
- 4,259
- Engine
- Continental IO-520F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Starflite, Inc., doing business as Manokotak Air
- Registered owner
- Starflite, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 5, 1988 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- DLG · Dillingham, AK
- Destination
- DLG
- Airport
- runway 19, 6,400 × 150 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.
- Registration
- N353EH
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1338
- Airframe hours
- 3,250
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS101600A3, 531 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Era Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 19, 1988 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- DLG · Dillingham, AK
- Destination
- Hagemeister Is, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4882U
- Age
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 30 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N353EH
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 15,287 total · 337 in this make and model · 248 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DLG
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.