N5074R

On August 27, 1993, at 1920 Alaska daylight time, a skid equipped Hughes 369D helicopter, N5074R, operated by Soloy Helicopters, Inc., of Wasilla, Alaska, collided with the terrain while maneuvering just northeast of Mount Iliamna, Alaska. The commercial pilot and 4 passengers were not injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The unscheduled domestic passenger flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 135, departed a remote camp in the area about 5 minutes before the accident. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and a company VFR flight plan was filed.

Shortly after the accident, during a telephone interview, the pilot stated the following in part: "I had just taken off from the driller's base camp, and had made a low pass over the drill rig about 2 miles away to see if anyone there needed us for anything. I started a right turn then realized that I wouldn't be able to out climb the steep mountain, so turned back to the left. Then the right skid hit the mountainside causing the skid and crosstubes to be separated from the helicopter. The fuselage belly was also damaged. I flew back to the base camp where I landed on a makeshift support structure. I could have encountered a downdraft that caused the helicopter to settle down and hit the mountainside."