S M & T UH N64771
10 June 2019 · Northway, Alaska, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 10 June 2019 at about 19:46 local time, a S M & T UH registered N64771, operated by Aurora Aviation Services, Inc, was involved in an accident near Northway, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Northway, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 63.0758, -141.0389
- Aircraft
- S M & T UH
- Registration
- N64771
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1963
- Operator
- Aurora Aviation Services, Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA19CA345
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing, which resulted in impact with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that he and the safety pilot were delivering fuel to a remote camp. During short final with the safety pilot on the controls and while the helicopter was about 50 ft above ground level, the descent rate increased. The safety pilot raised the collective, but the helicopter continued to descend, and the main rotor rpm began to decay. The helicopter then yawed right, rolled left, and impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The helicopter pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 2019 | Maule M6 | Moose Pass, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 12 May 2019 | Cessna A185 | Northway, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 2019 | De Havilland DHC-2 | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | Mountain Air Service LLC | Fatal | 6 |
| 12 May 2019 | Stinson 108 | Soldotna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 2019 | Cessna 180 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2019 | De Havilland BEAVER DHC 2 MK.1 | Kotzebue, Alaska, United States | Arctic Air LLC | No injuries | - |