Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Valdez, Alaska 99686
Thursday, April 11, 2002 14:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the helicopter was returning to a remote lodge with six skiers aboard. While in cruising flight, the hydraulic pressure warning light on the enunciator panel illuminated, and the aural warning horn sounded, indicating a loss of hydraulic pressure. The pilot confirmed the loss of hydraulic pressure, and slowed the forward airspeed of the helicopter. He cycled the hydraulic cut-off switch on the collective lever by turning the system off momentarily, and then on again. The pilot made a landing pattern and approach to a road, and brought the helicopter to a hover above the road. After coming to a hover the helicopter rolled hard left, and impacted the terrain inverted. According to the helicopter's operator manual, upon loss of hydraulic pressure, the pilot should reduce collective pitch to reduce the airspeed, disengage the collective pitch hydraulic pressure switch, make a flat approach, and land with forward airspeed. An inspection of the helicopter revealed that the hydraulic pump drive belt separated at the point where the belt is bonded together. The separation of the belt resulted in a total loss of hydraulic pressure. The belt is the subject of repeated maintenance inspection and has a life limit of 600 hours of operation. The failed belt had been in operation on the accident helicopter about 419 hours.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to disengage the hydraulic system, and maintain forward airspeed during landing as delineated in the emergency procedures section of the helicopter's operations manual, which resulted in a loss of control while hovering. Factors contributing to the accident were the separation of the hydraulic pump drive belt, and the subsequent lockup of the flight control system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/11/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Valdez |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99686 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 611100N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1453700W |
| 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 | |
| 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 | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 45 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13022 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ANC, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 11 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1500 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 29 2003 4:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N917JT |
| NTSB Number | ANC02FA029 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350-B2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2759 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4961 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 5 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 22.5 |
| Airframe Hours | 1424.8 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Delford M. Smith |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Mc Minnville |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97128 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | EVERGREEN HELICOPTERS OF ALASKA INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1935 Merrill Field Drive |
| Operator City | Anchorage |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99501 |
| Operator Code | EHAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Thompson Pass |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Tsina Lodge |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2003 3:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |