Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Whittier, Alaska 99693
Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:30 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated pilot reported he was attempting to land a wheel/ski equipped helicopter on a metal landing grid. He said the helicopter began to vibrate in ground resonance as soon as the landing gear touched the grid, and he immediately lifted the helicopter into a low hover. The vibrations increased, and he attempted to move the helicopter away from the landing grid. He indicated he was unable to control the helicopter due to the main rotor system's severe vibrations. The helicopter's main rotor blades subsequently struck a tower about 30 feet from the grid, resulting in the helicopter striking the ground and rolling inverted. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter. The helicopter sustained structural damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and all rotor blades.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's encounter with ground resonance during landing, which resulted in an aborted landing and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/21/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Whittier |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99693 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 604000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1472500W |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| 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 | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14800 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 21 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1245 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N319LF |
| NTSB Number | ANC03LA098 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | SA319B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2138 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4960 |
| 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 | Jul 30 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 51 |
| Airframe Hours | 5402 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Neb City Builing, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2911 Spenard Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99503 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LAST FRONTIER AIR VENTURES LTD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | HC03 Box 8352 |
| Operator City | Palmer |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99645 |
| Operator Code | L49C |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PAQ |
| Departure City | Palmer |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Whittier |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover - in ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2003 1:15PM |
| 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 | -- |