- Date
- June 10, 2019, 11:46 local (19:46 UTC)
- Place
- Northway, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64771S M & T UH
- Defining event
- Landing: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190610006589A
- Case key
- 99642
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 descent rate during landing, which resulted in impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 helicopter pilot reported that he and the safety pilot were delivering fuel to a remote camp. During short final with the safety pilot on the controls and while the helicopter was about 50 ft above ground level, the descent rate increased. The safety pilot raised the collective, but the helicopter continued to descend, and the main rotor rpm began to decay. The helicopter then yawed right, rolled left, and impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The helicopter 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, he and the safety pilot were delivering fuel to a remote camp. During short final, with the safety pilot on controls, about 50 feet above the ground, the helicopter's rate of decent increased. The safety pilot raised the collective, but the helicopter continued to descend, and the main rotor RPM began to decay. The helicopter then yawed to the right, rolled to the left, and impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The helicopter pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64771
- Reported as
- S M & T UH (1B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 63-8704
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 7,414
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L-11D, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Aurora Aviation Services, Inc
- Registered owner
- Evermore Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 4, 2019
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Remote, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 8 in this make and model
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 110,314 total · 297 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Observed at
- PAOR, 27 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB 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.