Aviation Crash Map

Bell 206L-1 N1432D

16 July 2020 · Homer, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 16 July 2020 at about 23:14 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N1432D, operated by Egli Air Haul Inc, was involved in an accident near Homer, Alaska, United States. One person was 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.

The record

Date
at 23:14
Classification
Accident
Location
Homer, Alaska, United States
Coordinates
59.4000, -153.5167
Aircraft
Bell 206L-1
Registration
N1432D
Category
Helicopter
Year built
1982
Engines
1
Operator
Egli Air Haul Inc
Operating rule
Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Purpose of flight
External Load
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Augustine Islan → Homer
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC20CA070

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to see and avoid the boat's mast, which resulted in a main rotor blade strike. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight planning by not having the boat's mast measured.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during maneuvering for external load operations to a boat, the helicopter suddenly began to shake violently. He immediately realized the helicopter had struck the boat with the main rotor blades; he jettisoned the 50 ft longline, the skid-based emergency flotation system was activated, and the helicopter landed on the water without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed that the helicopter had struck the boat's mast and sustained substantial damage to the two main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further added, he should have measured the boat mast height prior to operation instead of visually estimating the height and instead used a 100 ft long-line.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

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