- Date
- September 25, 1992, 09:54 local (17:54 UTC)
- Place
- George Inlet, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N58315Hughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920925038989A
- Case key
- 5817
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 improper in flight planning and decision and his failure to maintain altitude during the turn to reverse direction. Contributing to the accident was the calm water.
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
While flying along a shoreline at approximately 300 feet AGL, a passenger ask the pilot to fly in the opposite direction. The pilot turned toward the open glassy water. During the turn the helicopter descended and impacted the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58315
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 490495D
- Airframe hours
- 4,516
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Temsco Helicopters, Inc., doing business as Temsco Airlines
- Registered owner
- Temsco Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 19, 1992 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- 9C0 · Ketchikan, 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,602 total · 3,263 in this make and model · 5,671 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 84 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KTN, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.