- Date
- March 30, 1991, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Thompson Pass, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73279Bell 47
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910330007859A
- Case key
- 5530
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's failure to maintain aircraft control and improper flare during landing.
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
On final approach to a mountain ridge at the 5,000 foot level, the helicopter made a hard landing. After ground impact, the main rotor blades struck the tail boom causing substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73279
- Reported as
- Bell 47
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3134
- Airframe hours
- 3,873
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 24, 1991 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Thompson Pass, AK
- 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,420 total · 75 in this make and model · 5,110 as pilot in command · 5,350 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 98 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 19 °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 N73279 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.