- Date
- April 28, 1992, 10:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N371EHBell B206 II
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920428011909A
- Case key
- 5717
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 follow the company procedures and directives. Factor was the whiteout conditions.
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 landed short of his intended destination due to poor weather. After surveying the area, he decided to takeoff and attempt to reach his destination. During the takeoff sequence, he lost visual reference due to whiteout conditions and aborted the takeoff. The helicopter touched down sooner than he expected. He stated he did not know if the terrain was level so he elected to hover taxi back to his original takeoff point. During the hover he again lost visual reference and the helicopter drifted right, the right skid contacted a little hill and the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N371EH
- Reported as
- Bell B206 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1310
- Airframe hours
- 8,641
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Era Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Era Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 2, 1992 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- Field Site, AK
- Destination
- VDZ · Valdez, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,084 total · 4,732 in this make and model · 6,350 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.