Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chickaloon, Alaska 99674
Sunday, February 4, 2001 9:30 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was transporting two search and rescue volunteers and their equipment to the scene of an avalanche in a float-equipped helicopter. A helicopter landing zone (heli spot) had been established the evening before the accident, near the toe of the avalanche. The heli spot had been used by a military helicopter, and was marked by small flags. The surface of the snow at the heli spot had been dusted by red powder. The pilot of the accident helicopter had not landed at the heli spot before. The heli spot was located at 5,300 feet msl, near the bottom of a small valley. The pilot began his landing approach toward the west. Although the weather conditions were clear, the pilot said the lighting conditions in the valley provided little contrast (flat light). The pilot said that as he began to add power near the termination of the landing approach, the low rotor warning horn sounded, and he noticed that the main rotor gauge was indicating 92 to 94 percent. He reduced collective pitch, ensured the throttle was full open, and began to initiate a go-around toward the west, an area of lower terrain. The helicopter continued to descend, and the right front portion of the landing gear float assembly contacted the snow. About the same time, the main rotor contacted the slope of a small, snow-covered hill, to the right of the helicopter. The helicopter then rolled onto its right side. After the accident, the pilot said he noted that the wind was blowing about 8 knots from the east.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's collision with terrain due to his inadequate planning of the approach, and his failure to maintain the helicopter's main rotor RPM during a go-around. Factors in the accident were a tailwind, flat lighting conditions, and snow-covered terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/4/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Chickaloon |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99674 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 614445N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1471328W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10358 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 4 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1047 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2001 10:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7183P |
| NTSB Number | ANC01TA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R-44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0535 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 27 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 77 |
| Airframe Hours | 685 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | State of Alaska, Department of Public Safety |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4827 Aircraft Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99502 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Eureka |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | DT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Go-around (VFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 18 2001 2:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |