- Date
- May 21, 1991, 12:32 local (20:32 UTC)
- Place
- Dog Fish Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N87966Bell UH-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910521016719A
- Case key
- 5543
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 exceeding the gross weight of the aircraft and inadequate supervision by company management. Contributing to the accident was the high vegetation.
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 helicopter had just lifted off with a log on a 150 foot long line when the helicopter crashed. The investigation revealed that the helicopter was overweight by 1,660 pounds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87966
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6413968
- Airframe hours
- 3,525
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L11D, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 18, 1991 · 26 hours before
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
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,965 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 41 °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.