- Date
- June 10, 1992, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Polk Inlet, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N8395FMcDonnell Douglas MD-500D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920610019429A
- Case key
- 5741
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 proper procedure and the company's inadequate procedures and directives. A factor was the uneven terrain.
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 the helicopter on unstable terrain and when he and the other front seat passenger exited before the rear passengers the helicopter rocked backwards and the tailrotor struck the muskeg while the main rotor was still turning slowly. The pilot examined the drive train for damage and found none and elected to fly back to his base of operations. During the flight the tail rotor drive shaft separated and he lost tail rotor thrust. The pilot executed a landing in the water. According to the pilot and the chief pilot, there is no information in the company operations manual or the training manual indicating what action he should take after a blade strike has occurred. According to the chief pilot the pilot did not follow the verbal procedure which requires him to remain inside the helicopter until the blades stop rotating.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8395F
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas MD-500D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 880339D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Cri Helicopters
- Registered owner
- C And I Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- Mountain Top, AK
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,300 total · 110 in this make and model · 3,895 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
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 N8395F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.