- Date
- April 27, 2019, 17:37 local (Apr 28, 2019, 01:37 UTC)
- Place
- Juneau, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N288CHAerospatiale AS350
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190427003489A
- Case key
- 99346
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 failure to maintain a proper approach to landing on a ridge and his failure to maintain clearance from snow-covered terrain, which resulted in a tail rotor strike.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during the second landing on a "ridge" and while dropping off passengers for skiing, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted a higher area of snow-covered terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and the tail rotor gear box's mounting surface. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that, on the second landing on a "ridge/saddle," while dropping off passengers for recreational skiing. The tail rotor contacted a higher spot of snow-covered terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and mounting surface for the tail rotor gearbox. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N288CH
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS350 (B2)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2383
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 10,172.3
- Engine
- Safran Ariel 1D1, 732 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Coastal Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Coastal Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 5, 2019
- Departed
- PAJN · Juneau, AK
- Destination
- Juneau, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Satellite tracking device
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,707 total · 1,384 in this make and model · 3,650 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.38 inHg
- Observed at
- PAJN, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 15, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 995 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N288CH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.