ANC95LA012

The pilot had landed a helicopter and locked the controls down while the engine and rotors were turning at flight idle. He then exited the aircraft and began refueling from the right side of the helicopter. A company employee approached the pilot and inquired about getting a ride to the anticipated destination for the flight. After agreement, the employee started to walk toward his truck to retrieve his luggage and in doing so, ducked under the tail boom of the helicopter, walking to the left rear of the aircraft. The employee was struck by the tail rotor blade. An FAA inspector reported that the employee had worked around helicopters in the past and had received company training concerning the dangers of helicopter rotor blades.

On November 20, 1994, at 1300 Alaska standard time, the tail rotor of a skid equipped Bell 206 Jet Ranger Helicopter, N49686, operated by Coastal Helicopters, Inc., struck a person while the helicopter was being hot fueled at the White Stone logging camp near Juneau, Alaska. The individual, an adult male employed at the camp, succumbed from injuries sustained in the mishap. The helicopter evidenced no physical indication of damage. At the time of the mishap, the helicopter was being operated under the non-scheduled rules contained in 14 CFR Part 135. The pilot reported that VFR conditions prevailed in the area and that the flight was on a company VFR flight plan.

On the morning of November, 21, 1994, the NTSB investigator- in-charge conducted a telephone interview with the pilot of N49686. The pilot reported that after landing, he left the engine running at ground idle and proceeded to hot fuel the helicopter from the right side of the aircraft. The deceased initially approached the left side of the helicopter and spoke to a passenger who was in the process of getting his personal gear out of the aircraft's baggage compartment. The deceased, asked the passenger if he was the pilot. The passenger directed the deceased to the right side of the helicopter to where the pilot was standing. The deceased walked clockwise around the front of the helicopter to the right side of the aircraft. The deceased asked the pilot if he could hitch a ride back to Juneau with him to which the pilot responded in the affirmative.

The pilot said that the deceased had a normal demeanor but appeared to be a bit excited about getting to Juneau. Afterwards, the deceased turned away and headed toward the general direction of the aircraft's tail, and the pilot redirected his attention to the fueling operation. According to the pilot, the deceased walked under the tail boom of the helicopter and was struck by the tail rotor. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, Juneau Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported that the deceased had worked around helicopters in the past and had received company training concerning the dangers of helicopter rotor blades.

A post mortem examination of the deceased was conducted under the authority of the Alaska State Medical Examiner, 5700 E. Tudor, Anchorage, Alaska, on November 21, 1994. A toxicological examination was negative for alcohol or drugs.