ANC96LA097

The pilot landed in a area that was covered with tree stumps and cut logs. He maneuvered the helicopter so that when he landed the skids straddled a stump. The passenger disembarked the helicopter and positioned himself in the tree line in front of the helicopter. The pilot began to lift the helicopter vertically. He stated that he drifted to the right and the inside of the left skid struck the tree stump. The helicopter started to roll to the right. To avoid striking the passenger he applied full aft and right cyclic. The helicopter rolled onto its right side.

On July 7, 1996, at 1930 Alaska daylight time, a skid equipped Bell 206B helicopter, N2761F, registered to and operated by Coastal Helicopters of Juneau, Alaska, struck a skid on a tree stump and rolled over during an attempted hover/takeoff from a field site near the Kennsington Mine area, Juneau. The positioning flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing the field site for another field site located in the area. The helicopter was transporting surveyors and their equipment. A visual flight rules flight plan was in effect and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the helicopter received substantial damage.

During a telephone interview with the pilot on July 8, 1996, he stated that when he landed the helicopter, he straddled a stump with the skids. The landing area was covered with stumps and cut logs. During the takeoff attempt, he raised the helicopter to a hover and it drifted to the right. The inside of the left skid struck a tree stump. The helicopter started to roll to the right. The pilot stated that his passenger was standing in the tree line directly in front of the helicopter. He did not want to strike his passenger so he pulled the cyclic back and further to the right. The helicopter rolled onto its right side.