ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 198611
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| Date: | Thursday 3 August 2017 |
| Time: | 10:32 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Clipper II |
| Owner/operator: | Bering Air |
| Registration: | N4138M |
| MSN: | 12159 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2053 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540 Series |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 1 mi S of Solomon, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Nome, AK |
| Nome, AK | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
CFIT with water and sank while dropping mineral claim markers. This involved maneuvering the helicopter over a Global Positioning System (GPS) point where the passenger can drop the marker from the rear left seat of the helicopter. Some of the mineral claim corners are in water, and the placement of those markers must be offset to the nearest land mass. The pilot departed from the Nome Airport and arrived at the passenger's private residence about 4 miles east of Nome. The helicopter was shutdown, the pilot briefed the flight to the passenger, 23 markers were loaded onboard the helicopter, and the helicopter departed.
With about half the markers left to drop, the helicopter was operating over a lagoon between the mainland and a sand barrier, at about 10 to 15 feet above the water. The pilot reported that he was lower than he should have been and lost situational awareness when he was working with the GPS unit. He inadvertently allowed the helicopter to descend into the water "in a more level or slight nose low attitude" and the helicopter was not maneuvering at the time. He further reported that he must have pushed forward on the cyclic as he leaned forward to manipulate the GPS unit.
After the helicopter impacted water, the helicopter rolled, and came to rest on its right side in about 4 feet of water. The pilot and passenger egressed without further incident and waded to the shore with the helicopter occupant survival bag and satellite phone. The pilot contacted the operator with the satellite phone and a second company helicopter was dispatched to pick up the pilot and passenger about 1200.
At the time of the accident, the helicopter was not equipped with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved radio altimeter or a FAA approved device that incorporates a radio altimeter as required by 14 CFR Part 135.160 Radio Altimeters for Rotorcraft Operations. The operator was operating with a Letter of Deviation Authority approved by the FAA.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Aug-2017 11:12 | Aerossurance | Added |
| 19-Aug-2017 11:13 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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