- Date
- April 17, 1988, 17:50 local (Apr 18, 1988, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Near Central, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N65185Aerospatiale SA315B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19880417009549A
- Case key
- 4999
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 landed at the 'hot' refueling site and was attempting to exit the helicopter for a crew change. The hot refueling landing pad consisted of a black membrane with bundles of laths placed perpendicular to the helicopter's skids to prevent the skids from puncturing the membrane. The pilot landed on these laths and frictioned the controls down and left the engine and rotor blades operating at full RPM. While he was attempting to exit the helicopter it shifted rearward. He jumped back in the seat attempting to regain control. The helicopter lifted off the ground, turned 180 degrees, and crashed. The refueler received minor injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65185
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2288
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 562 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,923 total · 1,699 in this make and model · 10,042 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.