Bell 206L-3 N363AL

Summary

On 20 July 2012 at about 21:45 local time, a Bell 206L-3 registered N363AL, operated by Bristow Alaska Inc, was involved in an accident near Circle, Alaska, United States. 4 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

20 July 2012 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Circle, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

65.9461, -143.9728

Aircraft

Bell 206L-3

Registration

N363AL

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Bristow Alaska Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Circle

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12CA077

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot elected to land the high skid, turbine-powered helicopter in a burned-out wooded area as part of a vegetation reclamation survey. The area he selected contained several rain-soaked, burned, and fallen birch trees and required that he land on the fallen trees with the helicopter's skids perpendicular to the trees. The operator reported that, after landing atop the uneven, fallen trees, the pilot retarded the engine throttle to flight idle to begin the mandatory 2 minute engine cool down procedure. The helicopter subsequently tipped backwards and slid to the left, and the tail rotor struck a log. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, tail rotor drive system, and tail rotor gearbox. The pilot said that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.