Summary
On March 26, 1994, a Bell 206B (N49727) was involved in an accident near Wrangell, AK. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT HE HAD THE PROPER CLEARANCE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO LANDING ON THE PLATFORM. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE HIGH OBSTRUCTION (TREE STRUMP).
On March 26, 1994, at approximately 1455 Alaska standard time, a Bell Helicopter Model 206B, N49727, registered to and operated by Coastal Helicopters, Inc., collided with terrain during a landing attempt on a wooden platform at a remote logging site on Etolin Island, approximately 18 miles south of Wrangell, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot-in-command received minor injuries. A logger who was in the process of boarding the helicopter at the time of the mishap was not injured. The helicopter was destroyed. The on-demand air taxi flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 135, last departed mile post No. 5 on Etolin Island and the intended destination was the accident site at mile post No. 3.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ANC94LA042. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N49727.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO ASSURE THAT HE HAD THE PROPER CLEARANCE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO LANDING ON THE PLATFORM. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE HIGH OBSTRUCTION (TREE STRUMP).
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On March 26, 1994, at approximately 1455 Alaska standard time, a Bell Helicopter Model 206B, N49727, registered to and operated by Coastal Helicopters, Inc., collided with terrain during a landing attempt on a wooden platform at a remote logging site on Etolin Island, approximately 18 miles south of Wrangell, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot-in-command received minor injuries. A logger who was in the process of boarding the helicopter at the time of the mishap was not injured. The helicopter was destroyed. The on-demand air taxi flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 135, last departed mile post No. 5 on Etolin Island and the intended destination was the accident site at mile post No. 3. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a Company VFR flight plan was in effect.
The NTSB investigator-in-charge conducted a telephone interview with the pilot on the morning of March 28, 1994. The pilot reported that he felt the landing skids of the helicopter contact the platform. He said that the platform was constructed of logs, was triangular in shape, and estimated that it was from 1 to 2 feet above the ground. He recalled semi-resting the landing skids on the platform for a very short time, perhaps from 1 to 5 seconds, and believed that he still had some torque on the main rotor blade as he verified the platform's structural integrity. The next thing he recalled was being assisted from the wreckage.
The pilot characterized the weather, at the time of the accident, as mostly clear with a few clouds in the sky, 3 to 5 miles visibility, and light and variable winds out of the southeast.
A subsequent inspection of the accident site by company personnel revealed that the main rotor blades of the helicopter struck a stump up slope of the landing platform.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC94LA042