Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pogo Mine Airstrip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Delta Junction, Alaska 99737
Tuesady, August 7, 2012 16:45 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was transporting personnel from a remote elevated helipad constructed of logs. Witnesses stated that the helicopter had just touched down, and the pilot turned his head to give the signal to board when the helicopter suddenly pitched up and back, striking trees at the edge of the helipad. The helicopter rolled down the hill. A postaccident examination of the helipad revealed that one of the logs that made up the rear portion of the helipad decking had been pulled from the structure and damaged.
Based on the lack of mechanical anomalies with the helicopter and the damage to the helipad decking, it is likely the pilot landed too far forward on the helipad, which allowed the tail of the left skid to fall into the open area between the logs and become entangled. It is likely that the pilot sensed the imbalance and applied collective pitch, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to clear the left landing gear skid, which resulted in the entanglement of the left landing gear skid with a log, and his subsequent application of collective pitch, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/7/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Delta Junction |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99737 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 642632N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1445305W |
| Event Location Airport | Pogo Mine Airstrip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 76AK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1350 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 1653 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 216 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PABI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1291 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 41 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 31638 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AAL Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 24 2013 2:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N737TV |
| NTSB Number | ANC12FA084 |
| 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 | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | 600N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | RN017 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4100 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 13 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 90 |
| Airframe Hours | 9730 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aurora Aviation Services Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Delta Junction |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99737-0010 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Aurora Aviation Services Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Delta Junction |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99737-0010 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 76AK |
| Departure City | Delta Junction |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1625 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 76AK |
| Destination City | Delta Junction |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 24 2013 1:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |