MBB BO-105S N491HL

Summary

On 23 July 2002 at about 23:15 local time, a MBB BO-105S registered N491HL was involved in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 July 2002 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Deadhorse, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

69.2747, -150.5386

Aircraft

MBB BO-105S

Registration

N491HL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deadhorse → Deadhorse

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC02LA081

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to correct a settling-with-power condition during a helicopter landing flare/touchdown, resulting in a hard landing and roll over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot departed a survey camp in a high skid-equipped helicopter, on an air taxi flight to survey potential exploration sites. The director of operations said the pilot told him that he was flying about 70 feet above the ground at 50 knots when he began a descending 180 degree left turn to land in an area of flat open tundra. The pilot indicated the airspeed decreased during the turn, and the helicopter shuddered and developed a high rate of descent. The pilot applied collective pitch and power, but the rate of descent increased. The right landing gear skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The pilot told the director of operations that the wind conditions were about 8 knots from the northeast.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.