Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Healy, Alaska 99743
Sunday, August 4, 1996 10:30 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The McDonnell Douglas MD-369 helicopter, N58269, was flying in an easterly direction about 400 feet msl. The pilot said he was looking for potential landing sites which would allow the passengers/geologists to explore nearby rock formations. The pilot looked up and saw an airplane head-on an instant before impact. The helicopter's tailrotor drive shaft was severed in the impact, and the helicopter soon begin to spin. The pilot was able to make a partially controlled emergency landing in brushy terrain. The helicopter pilot said prior to impact with the airplane, his forward vision was partially restricted due to sun glare. The Cessna 185, N5246E, was flying in a westerly direction. The pilot said he saw the helicopter when it was slightly below, and directly in front of him. He said he just had a moment to pull back on the control wheel and try to turn left. He felt an impact, and later discovered the helicopter's tailrotor had damaged the airplane's lower fuselage, and knocked the tailwheel off. He was able to continue to his destination and made an uneventful landing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The inadequate visual outlook by the pilots of both aircraft, and their failure to see and avoid the other aircraft. A factor associated with the accident was sunglare affecting the helicopter pilot's vision.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | HEALY |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99743 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 4 |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1291 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 4 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1446 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N58269 | N5246E |
| NTSB Number | ANC96LA111A | ANC96LA111B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | None | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | McDonnell Douglas | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | MD369D | 185 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | MD369D | 185 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0421D | 18503943 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3550 | 3350 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 31 1996 12:00AM | Jul 26 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 | 103 |
| Airframe Hours | 4310 | 5675 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | P.B. FASTENERS | TALKEETNA AIR TAXI, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 60670 | P.O. BOX 73 |
| Aircraft Owner City | FAIRBANKS | TALKEETNA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99706 | 99676 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | TUNDRA COPTERS, INC. | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 60670 | |
| Operator City | FAIRBANKS | |
| Operator State | AK | |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 99706 | |
| Operator Code | FXKA | EPOC |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HRR | |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1005 | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |