ANC98FA061

The air tour helicopter was at 2,100 feet msl, and had just crossed a salt water channel when it collided with the airplane. The helicopter landed with substantial damage, and one injured passenger. The airplane was destroyed when it impacted water in the channel, and both pilot-rated occupants were fatally injured. An 18-inch portion of the airplane's right wing remained attached to the helicopter. None of the occupants of the helicopter saw the airplane prior to collision. The helicopter was on a standard tour route utilized by the company, and published in an FAA advisory pamphlet which the airplane occupants also had on board. The collision occurred at a location where the advised traffic route inbound to the Juneau airport crossed the helicopter's air tour route. The helicopter had completed crossing the channel, and was 100 feet above the upper limit of the recommended altitude for the crossing. The airplane was 100 feet above the lower limit of the recommended altitude for aircraft traveling west. This area has a high volume of VFR air tour, air taxi, and general aviation traffic. The area is uncontrolled, Class G, airspace, with no radar coverage. The helicopter pilot described the visibility as good. The helicopter pilot made traffic advisory radio transmissions on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the area of the collision. This frequency was published in the Alaska Supplement, the FAA advisory pamphlet for the area, and the VFR sectional aeronautical chart. The airplane's radios were not tuned to this frequency. The helicopter was illuminated with pulsating landing lights, and high visibility strobes. The airplane was configured with high visibility strobe lights on the wing tips, and two, nose-mounted landing/taxi lights, and a red anti-collision beacon on the tail. The control switches for the anti-collision beacon was found 'ON.' The control switch for the strobe lights was found in the 'OFF' position. The position of the landing/taxi lights could not be determined. Neither pilot in the airplane had any record of flight experience in the Juneau area.

The air tour helicopter was at 2,100 feet msl, and had just crossed a salt water channel when it collided with the airplane. The helicopter landed with substantial damage, and one injured passenger. The airplane was destroyed when it impacted water in the channel, and both pilot-rated occupants were fatally injured. An 18-inch portion of the airplane's right wing remained attached to the helicopter. None of the occupants of the helicopter saw the airplane prior to collision. The helicopter was on a standard tour route utilized by the company, and published in an FAA advisory pamphlet which the airplane occupants also had on board. The collision occurred at a location where the advised traffic route inbound to the Juneau airport crossed the helicopter's air tour route. The helicopter had completed crossing the channel, and was 100 feet above the upper limit of the recommended altitude for the crossing. The airplane was 100 feet above the lower limit of the recommended altitude for aircraft traveling west. This area has a high volume of VFR air tour, air taxi, and general aviation traffic. The area is uncontrolled, Class G, airspace, with no radar coverage. The helicopter pilot described the visibility as good. The helicopter pilot made traffic advisory radio transmissions on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the area of the collision. This frequency was published in the Alaska Supplement, the FAA advisory pamphlet for the area, and the VFR sectional aeronautical chart. The airplane's radios were not tuned to this frequency. The helicopter was illuminated with pulsating landing lights, and high visibility strobes. The airplane was configured with high visibility strobe lights on the wing tips, and two, nose-mounted landing/taxi lights, and a red anti-collision beacon on the tail. The control switches for the anti-collision beacon was found 'ON.' The control switch for the strobe lights was found in the 'OFF' position. The position of the landing/taxi lights could not be determined. Neither pilot in the airplane had any record of flight experience in the Juneau area.

See narrative for ANC98FA061A

History of flight

On May 30, 1998, at 1611 Alaska daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS-350-B2 helicopter, N187EH, and a Cessna 172RG airplane, N4948V, collided in midair, approximately four miles southeast of downtown Juneau, Alaska. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the right-side doors and fuselage. The commercial pilot and four passengers were not injured. The remaining helicopter passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter made an emergency landing at a mine site about 1/2 mile north of the collision point. The airplane impacted the water in the Gastineau Channel, about one mile west of the collision point, and was destroyed. The airplane's private pilot, seated in the left seat, and the commercial pilot/flight instructor, who was seated in the right-front seat, both sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A company flight plan was on file for the helicopter, and a VFR flight plan had been filed by the airplane pilot.

The helicopter flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 135 as an air tour flight, transporting cruise ship passengers to the Juneau ice fields. The helicopter was operated by ERA Aviation, Inc., of Anchorage, Alaska. The flight departed the ERA heliport, 10 miles west of the collision point, as the third ship in a flight of three. The first two helicopters departed at 1602 and 1603. The accident helicopter was delayed on the pad while the pilot adjusted a passenger's seat belt, and departed at 1606.

The airplane flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a U.S. Government civil flight. The airplane was owned by Take Flight Alaska, Inc., of Anchorage, and was rented and operated by the Federal Aviation Administration, Alaskan Region, in Anchorage. The accident flight was the second flight of the day for the airplane occupants. The flight departed Sitka, Alaska, for Petersburg, Alaska, at 1343. Then departed Petersburg at 1525, for the Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska. The airplane's pilot contacted the FAA Juneau Flight Service Station (AFSS) on 122.2 MHz at 1608, said that N4948V was 15 miles down Gastineau Channel, and closed the VFR flight plan. No other transmissions were received from the airplane.

The helicopter pilot stated to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during an interview on May 31, that he had just crossed Gastineau Channel from Treadwell on a magnetic heading of about 040 degrees at 2,000 feet above sea level (msl), and was beginning a climb, when the helicopter was impacted from the right side. The pilot stated that the passenger's audio narration tape ended just as the helicopter crossed the channel, and he had just asked how his passengers were doing.

None of the helicopter occupants said they saw the airplane prior to the collision. The passenger seated in the right-rear seat told the IIC that he was looking 30 degrees to the right of the helicopter's nose at the moment of impact. He said "I saw a flash of something white and angular, to the right, which I thought was a large bird."

The helicopter pilot indicated that at the time of collision, the helicopter was thrown onto its left side, pitched about 70 to 80 degrees nose down, and his feet were knocked off the pedals. He said that he regained control of the helicopter, immediately began an emergency descent to land, and transmitted that "187 is going down" on 123.05 MHz, 118.7 MHz, and on the company FM radio frequency. The pilot related that he entered an autorotative descent, recognized that the helicopter was controllable, and completed a power-on landing.

After landing, he noted that the passenger seated in the right-rear seat was injured, and that there was debris, including a wingtip light, in the aft cabin. He told the NTSB IIC that it was at that point he realized his helicopter had collided with an airplane.

Witnesses on the ground heard a loud noise, looked up, then saw the airplane on a westerly heading, and the helicopter on a northerly heading, flying away from each other. The airplane was described as momentarily remaining level, appearing to lose a piece of wing, then spiraling vertically into the water.

An air taxi pilot told the IIC that as he was exiting the Gastineau Channel northeast bound up the Taku Inlet about 1605, he saw a white Cessna enter the Gastineau Channel westbound. He said he did not hear any transmissions from this airplane on 123.05 MHz.

Injuries to persons

The two occupants of the Cessna 172RG sustained fatal injuries. Both were attached to their seats by seatbelts and shoulder harnesses. The pilot was seated in the left pilot seat, and the pilot-rated passenger was in the right pilot seat.

The passenger seated in the right-rear seat of the helicopter sustained a closed fracture to his right lower leg. The remaining five occupants of the helicopter were not injured.

Damage to aircraft

The helicopter sustained substantial impact damage to the right side of the cabin and fuselage, damage to antennas mounted under the tail boom, and surface scratches to the lower vertical stabilizer and both tail rotor blades.

The airplane was destroyed by a combination of collision and water impact forces.

Personnel information

Helicopter

The pilot of the helicopter has a commercial helicopter pilot certificate, and a private pilot certificate for single-engine land airplanes. He holds instrument ratings in both helicopters and single-engine airplanes. In addition, he was rated as a flight instructor in helicopters. He had a first class medical certificate issued on July 18, 1997, with no limitations. The pilot is 75 inches tall, with a sitting height of 33 1/2 inches from the seat pan to his eyes.

The helicopter pilot was hired by the company on April 19, 1997, and originally assigned to the Anchorage, Alaska base. He was authorized to fly AS-350, BH-212, and BH-412 helicopters for the company. The helicopter pilot's last flight review was his annual 14 CFR Part 135.293 and 135.299 competency and line checks. These were performed by a company check airman on March 20, 1998, in an AS-350-B2 helicopter.

At the time of the accident, the helicopter pilot had accumulated about 2,350 total flight hours, 2,250 in helicopters, and 403 hours in the AS-350. In the 90 and 30 days prior to the accident, he had flown 35 and 23 hours, respectively. On the day of the accident, the pilot had flown 2.5 hours on four previous air tours in the accident helicopter. The accident flight was his fifth flight of the day. This was the second season that he flew tours for the company in the Juneau area. He had acquired 17 hours flying in the Juneau area this season, all within the previous 7 days.

The pilot told the NTSB IIC during an interview on June 10, that he normally sleeps five to six hours per night, from midnight until 0600. He said that the night prior to the accident he attended a concert, and slept his normal amount. On the day of the accident, he preflighted his helicopter, and then slept another hour before he began his flights. He also indicated his sleep patterns were normal the previous two nights.

Airplane

The pilot of the airplane held a private pilot certificate with privileges for single-engine land airplanes which was issued on April 19, 1977. In addition, he held a certificate as an FAA control tower operator. According to the pilot's personal flight logbook which was found in the airplane, he had accumulated 433 hours of flight experience at the time of the accident. The last entry in this logbook was the previous flight on May 30, 1998. The pilot's logbook indicated that he had flown 20 hours in the previous 90 days, all accumulated in the previous 30 days.

The pilot held a third class medical certificate issued on June 13, 1996, with the limitation that he have glasses available for near vision. His medical certificate, and Alaska driver's license,