N60618

On May 31, 1995, at 1030 Alaska daylight time, a skid equipped helicopter, Aerospatiale AS-350-B2, N60618, slid into a crevasse/depression on the Ferebee Glacier near Skagway, Alaska. The flightseeing flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 135, was preparing to depart the Ferebee Glacier and return to Skagway. A company flight plan was in effect and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and the six passengers were not injured and the helicopter received substantial damage.

According to the operator, the passengers and the pilot had just boarded the helicopter and fastened their seatbelts. The engine was not running and the rotor blades were not turning. The helicopter began to slide forward on the glacier's surface, toward a small depression/crevasse. As it slid forward, it angled to the left and followed a depression. According to the pilot, the speed did not exceed that of a "brisk walk." The left front of the helicopter rolled into a depression and the helicopter rolled onto its left side and stopped sliding.

According to the Director of Operations, the pilot submitted to a toxicological test and the results were negative.