- Date
- July 18, 1990, 11:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Goodnews Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4796BBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 5405
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot selected unsuitable terrain. The wet & soft tundra was a factor.
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.
Roll over
Terrain condition - tundraFactor
Terrain condition - wetFactor
Terrain condition - softFactor
Unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selectedCause
Analysis
While at ground idle after dropping off a survey crew, the pilot observed that the right skid had sunk into the soft tundra. While attempting to free the skid at full RPM the helicopter rolled right 90 deg and the main rotor struck the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4796B
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 329
- Airframe hours
- 7,869
- Engine
- Allison C20-B, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Alaska Helicopter, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 23, 1990 · 97 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,284 total · 1,609 in this make and model · 5,361 as pilot in command · 126 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg