- Date
- February 16, 1991, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kodiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59568Bell 206-B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910216002519A
- Case key
- 5521
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
A loss of control and collision with terrain after the helicopter entered a whiteout condition.
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 stated that shortly after liftoff the helicopter entered a whiteout condition. The pilot lost control and the helicopter crashed into the mountain ridge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59568
- Reported as
- Bell 206-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1419
- Airframe hours
- 6,661
- Engine
- Allison C-20, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 4, 1991 · 10 hours before
- 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,224 total · 4,962 in this make and model · 7,013 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 15 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N59568 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.