Aerospatiale AS-350B N158EH

Summary

On 30 March 1998 at about 15:30 local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350B registered N158EH was involved in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 March 1998 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Soldotna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Soldotna (SXQ)

Coordinates

60.3197, -150.7895

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS-350B

Registration

N158EH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rotor Airstrip → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC98LA032

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadvertent dynamic rollover while performing a slope landing. Factors associated with the accident are the presence of rough and uneven terrain, and the pilot's improper slope landing technique.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was practicing slope landings in preparation for an upcoming check ride. According to the pilot, he was positioning the helicopter close to the hill in order to start the maneuver. The next thing the pilot recalls, the helicopter had rolled to its left, and was upside down and on top of the hill that he was attempting to land beside. The day following the accident, the pilot reported that he now suspected that the tail rotor drive shaft became disengaged, and caused the accident. The forward tail rotor shaft assembly, and a portion of the adjoining rear tail rotor drive shaft were examined by the NTSB Materials Laboratory for inspection. The inspection discovered no evidence of an in-flight disengagement of the tail rotor drive shaft assembly prior to impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.