- Date
- June 3, 1994, 20:30 local (Jun 4, 1994, 04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tyonek, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N746FHHiller FH1100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19940603013909A
- Case key
- 2508
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing which resulted in a dynamic rollover. A factor was the soft landing area selected.
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 stated he landed on the river bank, and after reducing collective to flat pitch, the river bank 'sloughed off' under the right skid, and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side into the theodore river. He stated he had already reduced power and was unable to correct for the roll rate due to dynamic rollover.
Factual narrative
On June 3, 1994, at 2030 Alaska daylight time, a Hiller FH- 1100 helicopter, N746FH, rolled onto its side, into the water after landing on a river bank located on the Theodore River near Beluga, Alaska. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The flight departed from Lake Hood with a stop at Alexander Creek. No flight plan was filed. The Pilot-in-Command and all three passengers were uninjured and the aircraft was substantially damaged.
According to the Pilot-in-Command, he reduced collective to flat pitch after landing on the river bank and the river bank "sloughed off" under the right skid. He stated the helicopter rolled onto its side and he did not have enough control to counter the roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N746FH
- Reported as
- Hiller FH1100
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 72
- Airframe hours
- 5,827
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dodge, Earl
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 1994 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- Alexander Cr, 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
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 34,886 total · 660 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.