Wednesday, March 03, 2021

Robinson R66 Turbine, N1767: Fatal accident occurred March 02, 2021 in Kodiak, Alaska

Andy Teuber


This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Juneau, Alaska

Kodiak Helicopters LLC

Location: Kodiak, AK
Accident Number: ANC21LA020
Date & Time: March 2, 2021, 15:39 Local 
Registration: N1767
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66 
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
  
On March 2, 2021, about 1539 Alaska standard time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R66 helicopter, N1767, is presumed destroyed after it impacted ocean waters about 70 miles north of Kodiak, Alaska. The pilot, the sole occupant, is presumed fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
  
According to the pilot’s wife, her husband owned Kodiak Helicopters, LLC which owned and operated the accident helicopter. She stated that he had requested the use of the helicopter from a company employee to make a day trip to see family located in Kodiak. She added that they had just returned from an out of state trip, and after arriving in Anchorage, Alaska, her husband went directly to the Merrill Field Airport (MRI) Anchorage, where the helicopter was located.
  
A pilot for Kodiak Helicopters reported that on the day of the accident, he was contacted earlier in the day by the accident pilot, telling him that he needed the helicopter for the next few days, and he told him to cancel any previously scheduled charter flights. According to the Kodiak Helicopters pilot, once the accident pilot arrived at MRI, he was asked to fill the helicopter’s fuel tank. He added that he had brief contact with the accident pilot while unloading his personal gear from the helicopter, but that the accident pilot seemed distracted and was not himself. Just before departure, the accident pilot commented to the Kodiak Helicopters pilot that he wanted to be in Kodiak, and with his family, when a local news story involving him was scheduled to publish.
  
According to the Kodiak Helicopters pilot, the flight departed from MRI at 1406 with a planned destination of the Kodiak Airport (ADQ) Kodiak. The Kodiak Helicopters pilot said he was able to view the helicopter’s en route progress in-flight via Spidertracks (a real-time tracking system), and at 1539, the helicopter’s Spidertracks data stopped in an area south of the Barron Islands over the open ocean waters.
  
Shortly after the Spidertracks data stopped recording, inquiries were made to see if the helicopter had arrived in Kodiak. Unable to locate the missing helicopter, family and friends contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to initiate an organized search for the missing helicopter. An FAA Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued, and an extensive search was launched.
  
During the search and rescue (SAR) operation, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) dispatched a rescue helicopter that located an inflated yellow pop-out float believed to be from the accident helicopter. The USCG stated that an emergency locator transmitter beacon was not received from the accident helicopter. The search continued with additional SAR assets; however, minimal debris believed to be from the helicopter were observed in the water, and the search was suspended on March 3, 2021 at about 1130.
  
(Inflated yellow pop-out float believed to be from the helicopter- Photo courtesy of the USCG)
  
A review of the archived Spidertracks data revealed that the last recorded data point was at 1539, as the track passed between Ushagat Island and West Amatuli Islands, at an altitude of 394 ft, heading 186° and at a groundspeed of 132 kts. 

(Spidertracks Data from Accident Flight)
  
A review of FAA data indicated that there were no preflight weather briefings or air traffic services provided to the pilot.
  
Days after the accident, an air charter company based in Kodiak discovered debris on a beach near Afognak Island, Alaska. The debris was recovered and found to be parts of the helicopter’s float, landing skid, and fuselage structure. No other wreckage has been located at this time.
  
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
  
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO
Registration: N1767
Model/Series: R66 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator:
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:
  
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
  
Conditions at Accident Site: Unknown
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PASO,29 ft msl
Observation Time: 15:23 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 32 Nautical Miles 
Temperature/Dew Point: -3°C /-5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 4 knots / ,
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1000 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.16 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Anchorage, AK (MRI)
Destination: Kodiak, AK (ADQ)
  
Wreckage and Impact Information
  
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Unknown
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: Unknown
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: Unknown
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 58.872527,-152.13761 (est)

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. 


You cannot libel the dead, the saying goes. But you also can’t always get their side of the story.

From the Anchorage Daily News perspective, the owners may hope their news story about former Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium CEO Andy Teuber came after his helicopter crashed on Tuesday and not before, because they may have committed character assassination against Teuber, with sexual abuse allegations that open the newspaper up to litigation from Teuber’s widow.

Widow? Teuber was married? That’s right, and we’ll get to that in a moment. This is a story of a powerful man, a beautiful woman, and a relationship gone very wrong. If Shakespeare was alive, he’d find a more elegant way to tell it, but Must Read Alaska just has a set of documents that tell both sides of the story.

To be clear, at this writing it’s not yet certain that Teuber was in the helicopter that went down near Kodiak. Must Read Alaska presumes it was Teuber; after all, it his helicopter, he was piloting it, and he is missing on the way to Kodiak, and helicopter debris was found. We don’t yet know if he survived, but he is long overdue. The pieces all add up to his untimely death at age 52.

Teuber resigned from Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium last week, and on Monday the ADN broke a story from the side of an alleged victim of sexual harassment.

The woman making the allegations said she had been sexually targeted by Teuber and forced to have sex with him in order to keep her job at ANTHC. She offered a letter she had written to ANTHC resigning from her job, and detailing exactly why, in sordid detail.

The letter paints her as the victim.

Teuber’s side has never been told. He begged the ADN to hold the story until he could get back to Alaska; he was out of state getting married.

There are basic facts not reported by the ADN that put Teuber, but also the complainant in this matter, in an unflattering light.

The woman who went to the press, Savanah Evans, has powerful political ties. She is related to U.S. Sen. Sullivan through his wife Julie Fate Sullivan and is reportedly close with the Sullivans.

In a letter sent on Feb. 23 to “Whom it may concern,” Evans wrote that Teuber forced her to have sex with him and held the threat of employment over her head. He denies those allegations and says she was the sexual aggressor.

Within 10 minutes of Evans’ letter being sent to ANTHC in February, Teuber had resigned from the organization. He quit the University of Alaska Board of Regents. Engaged to a long-time girlfriend, he got married out of state and planned to start his life over.

Evans’ letter with her allegations is printed in full here, followed by Teuber’s written responses to questions posed to him by the Anchorage Daily News regarding this incident.

THE SAVANAH EVANS LETTER

To Whom it May Concern: 

My name is Savanah Evans. I have been employed wit​h the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) since April 22, 2019. Unfortunately, I am writing to you today to give my formal notice that I am resigning from ANTHC, effective immediately. 

I app​reciate the opportunities this employment has provided me. However, the work environment is hostile​. I understand a letter like this should go directly to Human Resources, however, I do not feel comfortable expressing my concerns to Human Resources or to any compliance division of ANTHC. My distrust of Human Resources and any compliance tools afforded to employees of ANTHC stems from the established institutional protection of Pres​ident Teuber. Human Resources, Ethics and Compliance and Executive Leadership have overlooked and been unresponsive to similar abuses and perversion of President Teuber’s power, which, until today, I have been subjected to on a regular basis. 

The sight of the Administration’s offices, the boardroom, and the boardroom executive suite fills me with anxiety, concern, hurt, anger, and shame. For over a year, I have been abused regularly by President Teuber, and it happened under ANTHC’s roof. 

The sad part of what I have to say is, it is rumored that there have been other ANTHC employees who have experienced this pain and abuse and silently endured what I now know to be true. If this is not stopped now, the cycle will continue. My present situation and the past 16 months have taught me that our own people are now allowing and enabling those with power to do this to women. If I don’t speak up, I am no less guilty than those who have heard the rumors and done nothing. I will be no less guilty than those who have done nothing but swept it under the rug. I will not be part of this cycle – I have documented evidence of this abuse, and I want it to stop. I want this organization to protect the tribal members who we are to serve and all employees. 

ANTHC is the largest tribal health organization in the state. FTCA coverage and potentially sovereign immunity may be used as shields and ANTHC may choose to vigorously defend absolutely horrendous actions by its most powerful leader, Andy Teuber. My hope is you don’t. My hope is you replace him and create an effective reporting program to report all abuse including abuse by the executive leadership members. 

I want to share with you just a snapshot of what I have been dealing with for the last 16 months. I want to share with you a piece of who I am and who I have been forced to be over my course of employment with ANTHC: 

I am a single mother of a 4-year-old daughter. I am an Athabascan from the Koyukon region. I was excited to begin work at ANTHC on April 22, 2019 working in the Talent Bank for Kirsten Kolb. I did a variety of administrative work and supported the Marketing department, I did well and was hired as a full-time employee. I have always had a desire to learn and grow both personally and professionally, so when the position of Administrative Assistant to the President of ANTHC was posted I applied and was hired. 

During my first week President Teuber coordinated with Leah Pili to have me fly to Kodiak to “learn the operations at KANA”. President Teuber had dinner with me on that Friday night and later that evening requested via text message that I send him an inappropriate photo. I ignored his text message, and I did not comply with his request. Nothing physical occurred on my first trip to Kodiak. However, he asked that I return to Kodiak on October 11​ to help with the KANA annual meeting and again, Leah helped coordinate my trip to Kodiak. After dinner and a walk at the harbor, President Teuber reached around me and kissed me. He then took me back to his room and had sex with me. You may wonder if this relationship was consensual. It is not, when the person controls your employment. 

On October 15, 2019, there was a dinner with a representative from Moda insurance, to which President Teuber requested I bring logowear. When I delivered the logowear, President Teuber asked me to stay for dinner. President Teuber had several glasses of wine during dinner and continued to drink alcohol after the dinner at Fletcher’s. He was so intoxicated, I agreed to give him a ride home. I wish I hadn’t. I wish I had provided an Uber for him, because once at his house, he pulled me into the downstairs back bedroom and had sex with me and wouldn’t get off of me to let me leave. I was finally able to push him off and rush out. Later he texted me, simply saying ​“I’m sorry; that wasn’t cool.” 

Approximately two weeks later, I made it clear to President Teuber I wanted to end the sexual relationship and that’s when the “Fly Incident” occurred. President Teuber flew into a rage about flies in his office stating that he couldn’t work under such conditions and ordered Clinton Demientieff and I to pack up his office things so that he could work from home. He also required that anything that needed to be signed must be delivered to his house by me. During my first trip to deliver papers for his signature, he pushed me into the downstairs front bedroom for sex and told me that, ​“You always listen better after I fuck you”.​ My self-worth was plummeting and my shame rose to unbearable levels. On November 23​ , 2019, I tried to take my own life as I was unable to deal with the depression that took hold of me as a result of the treatment from my direct supervisor. 

His manipulation and invasion of private life knew no bounds. On August 1, 2020, I was on the Kenai Peninsula celebrating my daughter’s birthday when I received communication from President Teuber. He alluded to having a positive COVID-19 test and informed me I should immediately act as if I were also positive. In response to this, not wanting to spread COVID-19 to my loved ones and my community, I immediately drove back to Anchorage and got a rapid COVID-19 with the rapid testing machine in ​the boardroom executive suite​. That night at 10:40 pm I got my negative test results and texted it to President Teuber. He responded that he was coming to the office. When he arrived there were no words exchanged, he simply unbuckled my pants, pulled them down, and had sex with me, and when finished he joked about never having had sex with his mask on. As I was leaving the consortium office building and getting into my car, he drove up and said “​Thanks – I feel a lot better now.”​ . This is yet another degrading, dehumanizing example of the requirement to keep my job. Any time I tried to ignore his calls or texts during my personal non-work private time, he would swear at me, demand responses, and threaten me by referring to my job and stating that I have it because of him. I have records that will demonstrate the facts above. 

I made it clear multiple times that I did not want to have a “quid pro quo” relationship with my superior, when I didn’t comply, I paid for it during the workdays. Andy unrelentingly coerced, forced, and required sex of me. In December of 2020, I was given my evaluation for the period of time between October 2019 – September 2020. The summary of performance states: 

“Summary of Employee Performance during this evaluation period does not meet expectations”. 

On December 23​ , 2020, I was told I would be transferred within the organization and was placed in the Special Assistant to the CFO office. On February 8​ , 2021, it was proposed by Leah Pili in association with HR that my salary should be reduced from $89k to approximately $60k. 

President Teuber has repeatedly asked me to destroy evidence, keep our conversations private, and has told me I would be “​ill advised​” to share or disclose any of the events that have transpired over the past 16 months. And again, given that all reports of issues like this are decided by the very person inflicting the abuse. I believe him when he says that there will be consequences, both from the organization and from President Teuber, for speaking out about the truth of this ongoing abuse. There is much more than what I have put in this letter of resignation – it’s only a glimpse of what I have endured over the past 16 months. 

Therefore, I respectfully resign, effective immediately. /s/ Savanah Evans 

WHAT TEUBER SAID TO THE ADN

The allegations are specific and damning, and Evans says she has lots of text messages from him to back up her claims of emotional and sexual abuse.

But Teuber also has a side of the story. In what may be his last written words, he begged the Anchorage Daily News to hold off publication of their accusations of him.

He wanted to get to Kodiak to be with his daughter when the news broke. He was rushing on Tuesday because the newspaper told him they would not wait. He was distraught, but did he intentionally crash the helicopter?

Teuber had also gotten married on Monday, March 1, out of state to Amy Belisle of Anchorage. Must Read Alaska has seen the marriage certificate. It’s clear that Belisle knew of the allegations against her fiancĂ© and married him anyway.

Here is what Teuber wrote on Monday:

1.) Today is my wedding day and I am out of state;

2.) This afternoon, I was contacted by reporters from the Anchorage Daily News, who paraphrased allegations made against me by a former ANTHC employee with whom I had a completely consensual personal relationship.  I have never, and would never, engage in a non-consensual or “quid pro quo” personal relationship with anyone.  The allegations of wrongdoing that I have been made aware of are false, and these allegations and their timing appear designed to portray me unjustly and falsely; to damage my personal and family relationships; but especially to sabotage my recent engagement and new marriage; and to undermine my professional prospects;

3.) My former position with ANTHC was governed by a contract which includes strict confidentiality provisions.  Unless authorized to do so, I am not able to respond to allegations involving ANTHC, its business, or its current or former employees or practices;

4.) I intend to cooperate fully with ANTHC’s investigatory process, and to provide relevant documentation and evidence refuting the allegations of wrongdoing made against me;

5.) On advice of counsel I must withhold further comment at this time.

Here is exactly what Teuber told the ADN, including material the newspaper chose to not include in its story:

Michelle: As you know, I have been out of state attending my wedding. Please note that I am a private citizen, and I do not consider myself a public figure. You have insisted that I respond on very short notice, and at a time when you know that it would be extremely difficult for anyone to do so. You have presented me with a Hobson’s choice of either responding in detail about private relations between consenting adults, or see false allegations about my private life published in your paper, treating Ms. Evans’s false allegations as true. To be clear, I believe Ms. Evans has strong personal and financial motives to attack me, and you are being manipulated to advance those motives on an accelerated timetable deliberately timed and designed to hurt me and my family. 

Although I request that you not publish a story including these false and malicious allegations against me, if you do, you have given me no choice but to respond (set forth in bold type below) to your specific questions as follows: 

1. When did you learn of any allegations against you by Ms. Evans? 

a. On Tuesday, February 23 at approximately 8:15 am 

2. When did the board receive Ms. Evans letter of resignation? 

a. Unsure. This is a question best addressed to ANTHC. 

3. When did you resign? 

a. Tuesday, February 23, a few minutes after learning of the allegations. 

Were you asked to resign, and if so, by whom? 
a. No. 

Did you provide a letter of resignation? If so can you provide it? 
a. I did not submit a letter. 

6. Ms. Evans says that you created a hostile work environment for her at ANTHC. Do you dispute that? 

a. Yes, I dispute this. 

7. She said that she did not feel able to bring her complaints about you to Human Resources officials within ANTHC, nor any compliance division within ANTHC, because ANTHC has “established institutional protection of President Tueber” and because human resources, ethics and compliance officers and executive leadership have “overlooked and been unresponsive to similar abuses and perversion of President Teuber’s power.” Do you dispute this? 

a. I dispute this, but am not able to further comment as it involves questions for ANTHC, about whom I am not authorized to speak. 

8. Have you been accused of harassment, ethics violations or abuse by other employees, and if so, how were those complaints handled and resolved? 

a. I have not. 

9. Ms. Evans says ANTHC is “allowing and enabling those with power” to abuse women. How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. This never happened to my knowledge, but I am not able to further comment as it involves questions for ANTHC, for and about whom I am not authorized to speak. 

10. Do you agree that the current process for reporting abuse committed by executive members is flawed? 

a. I am not able to comment as it involves questions for ANTHC, for and about whom I am not authorized to speak. 

11. Ms. Evans said that during her first week working for you, she was flown to Kodiak and you at one point asked her to send you an inappropriate photo. How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. During the very first occasion when we were alone, Ms. Evans demanded sex from me in a very direct and aggressive way. After she made her interest plainly known, we did engage in intimate relations, which were always willing, voluntary and consensual, and often initiated by Ms. Evans. 

(Sources have detailed to Must Read Alaska the specific sexual offers allegedly made by Evans, but we are not repeating them here.)

12. Ms. Evans said that she returned to Kodiak later, in October 2019, to help with the annual KANA meeting and that during that trip, you “reached around (her) and kissed (her). He then took me back to his room and had sex with me. You may wonder if this relationship was consensual. It is not, when the person controls your employment.” How do you respond to this accusation that you forced Ms Evans to have sex with you? 

a. I have never forced or coerced sex from anyone, including Ms. Evans. I do not recall every occasion when we had relations, but any time we did she freely participated. 

13. Did you consider the sex to be consensual? If so, how did you know it was consensual? 

a. It was always completely voluntary and consensual, and many if not most times she was the initiator. 

14. How many of your assistants and past personal staff have accused you of sexual harassment? 

a. I have never been made aware of any such allegation. 

15. How many of your assistants and past personal staff have accused you of emotional abuse? 

a. I have never been made aware of any such allegation. 

16. How many of your assistants and past personal staff have accused you of sexual assault? 

a. I have never committed sexual assault against anyone, and I have never been accused of this.

17. Ms. Evans says that on Oct. 15, 2019, she agreed to drive you home from Fletcher’s bar in Anchorage, because you’d been drinking, and that when you arrived at your home “he pulled me into the downstairs back bedroom and sex with me and wouldn’t get off of me to let me leave.” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. I do not remember this particular night, and this allegation is false to the extent that she is accusing me of coercing or forcing her to do anything against her will. As stated previously, any and all occasions where Ms. Evans and I engaged in intimate relations were completely voluntary, and many if not most times initiated by her. 

18. Ms. Evans said that she “was finally able to push him off and rush out. Later he texted me, simply saying ‘I’m sorry; that wasn’t cool.’” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. Again, this allegation is false as stated above. 

19. Was this incident reported to police? 

a. Not to my knowledge. 

Have you been contacted by police about this incident? 
a. No. 

Has ANTHC hired an outside counsel or attorney to investigate this matter? 

a. I am not sure what you mean by “this matter,” but all questions about what ANTHC is or is not doing should be directed to ANTHC. 

22. Do you have a personal attorney representing you in this matter? If so, whom? 

a. Yes, I do, and he has contacted you off the record on my behalf. 

23. Ms. Evans said that you began working from home about two weeks later, and that she was required to deliver papers to your house for signature. She said that during her first visit to his home, for work purposes, “he pushed me into he downstairs front bedroom for sex and told me that, ‘You always listen better after I fuck you.’” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. I am not sure of the timing referred to in this question, but this allegation is false. 

24. Ms. Evans describes an encounter on Aug. 1, 2020, when you came to the office while COVID-19 positive and had sex with her, telling her aftward, “Thanks – I feel a lot better now.” How do you respond to this accusation? Did this occur in a room behind the ANTHC boardroom, within the executive suite? 

a. This allegation is false. 

25. Ms. Evans writes that, “Any time I tried to ignore his calls or texts during my personal non-work private time, he would swear at me, demand responses, and threaten me by referring to my job and stating that I have it because of him.” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. I did at times express myself strongly to Ms. Evans, but all such expressions were job performance related. 

26. Is there a recording of you berating Ms. Evans? If so, has the board been provided with that recording? 

a. I am aware of a recording that Ms. Evans made of a conversation regarding a work-related and very stressful situation while I was on personal time. Beyond this, I am unable to comment on ANTHC business. 

27. Ms. Evans writes that she “made it clear multiple times that I did not want to have a ‘quid pro quo’ relationship with my superior, when I didn’t comply, I paid for it during workdays.” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. This allegation is false. 

28. She writes that you “unrelentingly coerced, forced and required sex of me.” How do you respond to this accusation? 

a. This allegation is false, and as stated above, any and intimate relations were completely voluntary and often initiated by Ms. Evans. 

29.Ms. Evans said that her job performance, provided in December, stated that her performance “does not meet expectations.” Is this correct? 

a. I have not seen her job evaluation, and beyond this I would refer you to ANTHC. 

30. She said that on Dec. 23 — after she told you she no longer wanted to have sex as part of a “quid pro quo” relationship — she was told that she would be transferred to a job as special assistant to the CFO, with her salary reduced from about $89,000 to about $60,000. Is this correct? In other words, is it accurate to say that when Ms. Evans told you she no longer wanted to have sex she received a pay cut? 

a. This allegation is false. There never was a “quid pro quo” relationship between us. I had no involvement in setting her salary or benefits. As far as the terms of her employment and duty assignments made by her supervisor, such questions should be directed to ANTHC. 

31. Ms. Evans writes that you repeatedly asked her to destroy evidence and told her it would be “ill advised” if she were to share or disclose any of the events that transpired over the past 16 months. Is that correct? 

a. I never told her to “destroy evidence.” She and I both agreed that our personal relationship should be handled with discretion. 

32. Has ANTHC destroyed any of your electronic records, including email, phone or text archive? 

a. This is a question you should direct to ANTHC. 



The story behind the story of the presumed death of former Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) CEO Andy Teuber now in the news is looking more and more like the plot line for an episode of the long-running TV franchise ”Law and Order:”

A newlywed, 20-something, personal assistant ends up in a sexual relationship with a 50-something boss paid an outrageous $1 million per year to run a “non-profit corporation.” The newlywed is soon a divorcee.

The million-dollar man, meanwhile, turns his back on her to marry someone else, and the company for which she is working decides she isn’t such a great employee and proposes to cut her salary from $89,000 per year to $60,000.

She quits and writes a scathing letter to the company’s board saying she was coerced into sex with the boss. He immediately resigns. Her letter is given to the state’s largest and most influential newspaper.

Pandering to the #MeToo movement, the newspaper embraces her narrative and runs with it, ignoring the divorce and the pay cut, which might suggest to some readers possible motives for her to screw the boss big time.

His reputation in tatters, he takes off in his helicopter to retreat to his old hometown on an island in the Gulf of Alaska, crashes and disappears. Suicide? An accident fueled by emotional trauma?

Nobody knows, but a right-leaning news website in competition with the state’s left-leaning newspaper headlines “‘He said, she said’: Was this a case of journalistic murder?”

All that’s missing here is the suggestion that Teuber’s death was neither an accident nor suicide, but a murder. And a good screenwriter wouldn’t have any problem inserting into the story characters and/or entities who might want him dead.

I won’t do that because this website is dedicated to journalism, not fiction, though the two seem to get harder to tell apart by the day. That said, it’s obvious Law and Order could have used this for an episode, and John Grisham might have managed a whole book.

If you’re the ANTHC facing all this stuff hitting the fan, the best thing you could hope for is that the former chief executive officers dies and just sorts of fades away. Better that than the possibility accusations against him spark a bunch of people to start asking questions about the young woman’s suggestion of past sexual harassment or abuse within the consortium.

Or even questions about the fat salary paid the dead man. ANTHC pay has come under enough fire in the past.

But ANTHC is not the subject here. The subject is the story behind the story behind the story, which is about journalism.

Sniff test

In the old school, there was a fact-finding rule called the “sniff test.” It was a pretty simple rule.

If somebody said something that just didn’t jive with normal actions, behaviors or customs, a journalist had a responsibility to check out the claim. Teuber accuser Savanah Evans, 27, made one such claim.

“Evans and her attorney, Jana Weltzin, said they were not aware that Teuber was engaged or had gotten married,”  the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica, a New York-based news organization engaged in a business relationship with the Alaska newspaper reported after being delivered a copy of Evans’ letter to the ANTHC.

That is a claim that on the face of it fails the sniff test. It might be true, but it demands investigation.

Evan’s resignation letter dates her last sexual encounter with Teuber to August 1, 2020, but she continued as his administrative assistant up until December when she got a bad job review and the ANTHC suggested shifting her assignment to that of special assistant to the organization’s chief financial officer (CFO) and cutting her pay.

It is possible Evans was unaware the man with whom she worked closely and with whom she had been intimate had begun a relationship with another woman over the course of the winter, leading to his March 1 wedding. It is even possible Teuber’s relationship with his wife-to-be didn’t start until after December. Almost anything is possible because when it comes to human behavior, almost anything is possible.

But the Evans claim here doesn’t seem plausible. That is not to say it is untrue. Every word of Evans’ story, most of which Teuber denied, could be true. It could be the opposite. Or the truth could live somewhere between the opposing views.

A lot of the story is impossible to confirm or deny. The claim of lack of knowledge of Teuber’s new paramour is, however, a claim that might be used to establish credibility one way or the other.

Was Teuber’s new relationship and engagement a secret at ANTHC? And what, for that matter, does Evans’ carefully worded statement mean? Does it really mean Evans was unaware Teuber was in a relationship with another woman or only that Evans didn’t know that Teuber had proposed?

Finally, there is the matter of Evans’ divorce.

As an acquaintance of the former couple messaged when the story first broke, the “timing is rather strange. I hope to God my newlywed wife would tell me if another man forced a sexual encounter four months after our honeymoon. Don’t take that the wrong way. I’m just saying what comes to mind…because my spidey sense signals an this could be an affair gone awry.”

Why the rush to print before making an extra effort to find out if Evans told her then-husband or anyone else for that matter, about sexual coercion or harassment at work? Or was something else going on? Did the divorce have anything to do with Teuber?

With Teuber now dead, Evans’ ex isn’t talking. He said his attorney told him to keep his mouth shut because of the possibility he could be subpoenaed, although it is unclear by whom.

The ex is not being named here given that he appears to have no involvement in what happened between Evans and Teuber. Those who are overwhelmingly curious can go find his name in court records.

The divorce “is a public record,” he said Thursday, a public record ADN/ProPublica should have reported. The timing could all be a coincidence. It could be anything,

But readers have the right to be given all the information so they can form their own opinions rather than information being withheld so reporters can steer those opinions toward the narrative of choice

The backgrounds and possible motives of the players are important in these sorts of messy situations. Evans said in her letter to the ANTHC board that her motivation was to end the days of “allowing and enabling those with power to do this to women.

“If I don’t speak up, I am no less guilty than those who have heard the rumors and done nothing. I will be no less guilty than those who have done nothing but swept it under the rug. I will not be part of this cycle. I have documented evidence of this abuse, and I want it to stop. I want this organization to protect the tribal members who we are to serve and all employees.”

This could be true. There are no shortages of sexual harassment and abuse cases that have been covered up in the most misogynistic state in the nation.

But it could also be true, as Teuber claimed, that “I have never, and would never, engage in a non-consensual or ‘quid pro quo’ personal relationship with anyone.  The allegations of wrongdoing that I have been made aware of are false, and these allegations and their timing appear designed to portray me unjustly and falsely; to damage my personal and family relationships; but especially to sabotage my recent engagement and new marriage; and to undermine my professional prospects.”

Journalists once had a responsibility to gather and report any information that would help readers weigh these competing claims before publishing. Those days appear to be over.

Minor details

ProPublica and the ADN ran with this story without even pinning down when this sexual relationship began.

The ProPublica/ADN story says that “soon after she started work as Teuber’s special assistant in October 2019, Evans said she received a request for an ‘inappropriate photo” while on a work trip to Kodiak with Teuber, which she refused to provide. Their sexual relationship began the same month, according to the resignation letter.”

The letter, however, doesn’t actually say when she started working with Teuber. It says she started work with the ANTHC in April 2019, but sometime later the “position of administrative assistant to the president of ANTHC was posted I applied and was hired.”

The letter does not say when that was, but it does date her first sexual encounter with Teuber to October 11, 2019:

“After dinner and a walk at the harbor, President Teuber reached around me and kissed me,” it said. “He then took me back to his room and had sex with me. You may wonder if this relationship was consensual. It is not when the person controls your employment.”

The letter, however, makes no mention of Teuber in any way threatening Evans’s job at that time and goes on to indicate that days later she was comfortable enough with him to accept an invitation to a post-business-meeting dinner at a downtown Anchorage restaurant.

At dinner, she wrote, Teuber drank too much so she offered to drive him home. Once there, the letter says, “he pulled me into the downstairs back bedroom and had sex with me and wouldn’t get off of me to let me leave. I was finally able to push him off and rush out. Later he texted me, simply saying ​’I’m sorry; that wasn’t cool.’ ”

Two weeks later, according to the letter, “I made it clear to President Teuber I wanted to end the sexual relationship.”

This would have been near the end of October or the start of November. In the space of a matter of weeks, Evans indicates she went from believing she was required to have sex with the “person (who) controls your employment” to making it “clear” to that person that she “wanted to end the sexual relationship.”

But it didn’t end.

At an unspecified later date, the letter says she took papers to Teuber at home and “he pushed me into the downstairs front bedroom for sex,” a move that sounds like a possible sexual assault. Then, “on November 23​ , 2019, I tried to take my own life as I was unable to deal with the depression that took hold of me as a result of the treatment from my direct supervisor,” the letter says.

The letter does not detail how she tried to take her life or whether she sought professional help after. It does not name anyone she might have talked to about the potential sexual assault in November.

It does name some potential witnesses to other encounters between her and Teuber. If ADN/ProPublica tried to contact any of them, there is no mention of that in the story, which is pretty much what Suzanne Downing the editor of “MustReadAlaska” labeled it, “He Said; She Said.”

And it is possible no amount of investigation would change that, that no amount of reportorial digging would make one side of the story any more likely than the other side of the story.

But that’s not an excuse to avoid the work to rush into publication a story that finally ends with a man dead.


ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended the search in waters off Alaska for an overdue helicopter piloted by the former head of Alaska’s largest tribal health care organization, who resigned last week after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him.

Andy Teuber, 52, former head of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, left Anchorage about 2 p.m. Tuesday in a Robinson R66 helicopter enroute to Kodiak Island, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The Coast Guard was contacted about three hours later by family when he didn't arrive in Kodiak, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) south of Anchorage.

“After an extensive search with our available assets resulting in inconclusive findings, it’s with a heavy heart that we have to suspend this search pending any new information. I offer my deepest condolences to those affected by this incident," Cmdr. Matthew Hobbie, the Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator, said in a statement.

The Coast Guard used a helicopter, HC-130 Hercules airplane and the cutter Stratton to search about 1,022 square miles (2,647 square kilometers) over 13 hours.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Lexie Preston said ending searches is based upon weather, water temperatures and the survivability rate of the missing person.

Preston said that planes searching for Teuber on Tuesday found a debris field in the Gulf of Alaska, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Kodiak.

However, she said searchers could not “confirm that was that helicopter.” Crews searching Wednesday did not locate the debris, Preston said.

“The debris that was initially located yesterday evening was consistent with debris that would have been found on the overdue helicopter," Hobbie said.

Teuber owns the helicopter, which is used for sightseeing and charter trips through his company, Kodiak Helicopters LLC, according to state records.

Teuber abruptly resigned on February 23 from the health care organization and as a member of the University of Alaska Board of Regents. At the time, no reason was given.

However, his former assistant described a pattern of abusive behavior, harassment and coerced sexual counters by Teuber in a three-page letter to consortium officials that was obtained by the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica. She resigned the same day.

“Andy unrelentingly coerced, forced, and required sex of me,” Savanah Evans said in the letter.

The Associated Press does not usually name victims of alleged sexual misconduct, but the Anchorage Daily News said she gave permission to use her name. Their story was published online Tuesday.

She claimed the abuse, much of which took place in consortium offices, derailed her personal and professional life.

In an email to the newspaper on Monday, Teuber denied Evans’ allegations, calling it a “completely consensual personal relationship.”

“The allegations of wrongdoing that I have been made aware of are false, and these allegations and their timing appear designed to portray me unjustly and falsely; to damage my personal and family relationships; but especially to sabotage my recent engagement and new marriage; and to undermine my professional prospects,” Teuber wrote.

Teuber led the consortium for over a decade and was paid more than $1 million per year.

The consortium is co-owner and manages the Alaska Native Medical Center, one of three hospitals in Anchorage. The health organization provides services to more than 170,000 Alaska Natives and employs more than 3,000 people.

The consortium said it will conduct its own independent, outside investigation.

Teuber had headed the health consortium since 2008, according to a biography posted on the Alaska Federation of Natives webpage.

Teuber also served on the federation's board and has been president of the Kodiak Area Native Association since 2006.

Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II, N56258: Fatal accident occurred October 30, 2019 near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (KPDK), Atlanta, Georgia


Negotiations over an insurance payout to a DeKalb County resident whose home was damaged in the 2019 crash of an airplane out of DeKalb-Peachtree Airport has been “resolved” in an undisclosed manner, according to an attorney. 

John Patterson was one of two residents left temporarily homeless in the October 30, 2019 crash of a private airplane that hit their townhomes at 2421 Peachwood Circle near I-85. The crash killed the pilot and a passenger. Debris smashed a huge hole in the roof of Patterson’s spare bedroom and fell through the floor into the kitchen below.

Patterson and his attorney, Alan Armstrong, said a month after the crash that they were seeking insurance compensation but were running into a hitch about whether the pilot was covered for the instrument-based flying he was doing at the time. 

Insufficient insurance is a common problem in private airplane crashes, Armstrong and other experts say. There is no federal or Georgia requirement that non-commercial pilots have liability insurance at all, and some beginners have policies that pay only $100,000. Policies that pay out $1 million total per incident are common, but that amount can quickly be consumed by the scale of damage and injuries from airplane crashes.

Asked for an update about the Peachwood Circle case, Armstrong in December said, “The matter is resolved,” adding that he cannot discuss the details. Patterson did not respond to a comment request.

DeKalb County Superior Court records show no filings for legal action in the matter.

Located on Clairmont Road in Chamblee on the Brookhaven border, PDK has a long history of accidents, including an infamous 1973 case where a jet crashed into a Buford Highway apartment building, killing seven people on the plane and severely injuring a resident with burning fuel. 

Since 2000, three residential properties have been hit by planes from PDK in DeKalb, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Lilburn. A total of 17 people have been killed in accidents in that time period, all pilots or passengers. Other planes from PDK have wrecked in residential or commercial areas or on highways. 

The 2019 crash raised safety concerns with some nearby residents as development increases around what was once a remote, semi-rural airport. However, experts say that PDK’s accident rates are not unusual and the risk to any given property is tiny. PDK officials have said that most accidents and near-misses happen within the airport property.


This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Atlanta Georgia
Piper Aircraft Inc; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania


Location: Atlanta, GA
Accident Number: ERA20FA021
Date & Time: 10/30/2019, 1032 EDT
Registration: N56258
Aircraft: Piper PA28R
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On October 30, 2019, about 1032 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R, N56258, was destroyed following an inflight break up, and impact with a residential building and terrain near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), Atlanta, Georgia. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at PDK about 1014 and was destined for Mid-Carolina Regional Airport (RUQ), Salisbury, North Carolina.

According to air traffic control communication and radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot established communication with the ground controller at PDK and advised that he had received Automatic Terminal Information Service Hotel (H). The 0953, weather observation included variable wind at 6 knots, visibility 6 miles with mist, with an overcast ceiling at 400 feet above ground level. Before departing, the pilot received an IFR release with instructions to fly a heading of 090°. The controller then cleared the flight for takeoff on runway 12L with a left turn to a heading of 090°, and advised the pilot the current winds were 150° at 5 knots.

The pilot established communication with the departure controller as he was climbing through 2,000 feet in a right turn to a heading of 090°. The controller instructed him to climb to 5,000 feet and proceed direct to the Athens (AHN) VORTAC. Additionally, the controller advised him of moderate precipitation extending to the east for 10 miles along their route of flight to AHN. The pilot began a right turn to the southeast and the controller instructed the pilot to turn left direct AHN, advising the pilot that it appeared that they were heading southbound. The pilot turned eastbound and the controller asked if they were showing a route direct to AHN, to which the pilot responded "affirmative." The airplane continued eastbound for approximately three miles before again turning southbound. The controller instructed the pilot to fly a heading of 090° and the pilot advised that they had "…lost their vacuum gauge." At that time the airplane was at 5,000 feet and turned to the northeast briefly before it entered a right turn and rapidly descended to 3,700 feet. The controller instructed the pilot to maintain "wings level" and maintain 4,000 feet; however, the pilot did not respond. The controller made additional transmissions to the pilot to maintain wings level without a response, there were no additional communications with the flight, and radar contact was lost.

An examination of the accident site revealed the airplane impacted a residential apartment building 1.5 miles southeast of PDK. The airplane struck the wooden roof near the back wall, then continued through the second floor coming to rest in the kitchen area. The engine was located inside the apartment crawl space and kitchen area, while the fuselage and cockpit remained outside of the residence back door. Additionally, the right main gear and sections of the right wing flap were located on the second floor of the adjacent apartment. The debris field was about 790 feet in length on a magnetic heading of about 270° from the crash site. At the beginning of the debris field, a portion of the right wing tip was located on the roof of another residential building. Within the debris field was a portion of the left wing tip, right aileron, horizontal stabilizer and vertical stabilizer with the rudder attached by one hinge.

The engine remained attached to its mounts and the firewall. One of the three propeller blades were broken at the base of the propeller hub. All the propeller blades had scoring and impact marks throughout the span of the blades. The left wing aileron was not located during the initial search.

Flight control continuity was not confirmed, but flight control cable terminations were observed intact at the rudder pedal assembly in the cockpit. The aileron cable chain was fracture separated with one end still attached to the cable. The stabilator cables remained attached to the stabilator idler arm in the cockpit. The flap control cable remained attached to the flap selector handle. All the cables were separated between the cockpit controls and the control surfaces with signatures consistent with overload due to impact or cuts made to facilitate recovery of the wreckage.

The left wing spar inboard attach flanges were located at the accident site; a small section of the wing box which had separated from the main wreckage revealed a fracture of the lower spar cap that occurred on the outboard pair of attach bolts. The fracture surface was clean and smooth with no apparent indications of fatigue progression and exhibited damage signatures consistent with impacting the building. The outboard section of the left wing was separated chordwise at the main spar splice joint and the fractures were consistent with overload. It was located on the ground near the entrance gate to an apartment complex.

The right wing spar was located near the fuselage, it remained attached to the wing box. The outboard portion of the right wing was separated chordwise at the main spar splice joint and the fractures were consistent with overload. The outer section of the left wing was recovered from the roof of a residential building.

The stabilator's left and right tips were located in the debris field away from the fuselage. The center portion of the stabilator was impact damaged and separated chordwise about mid-span and the fractures were consistent with overload. The trim tab remained attached to the portions of the stabilator by its hinges. The forward spar of the stabilator was separated about 12" either side of the aircraft centerline. The center portion of the forward stabilator spar, including the balance tube and weight, remained attached to the tailcone bulkhead at its hinges.

The vertical stabilizer and rudder were separated from the tailcone and the fractures were consistent with overload. It was located along the debris field between the wing tips and the main wreckage. The rudder remained attached to the vertical stabilizer by its upper hinge. The rudder horn was separated from the rudder and the rudder cables remained attached to the horn. The rudder stops were intact and unremarkable.

The wreckage was recovered and retained for further examination.

According to FAA airmen records, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. At the time of the accident, the pilot held a third-class medical certificate issued on April 18, 2018 and reported 4,850 hours of flight experience.

The weather conditions reported about 1027 at PDK, about 1.5 miles northwest of the accident site, included visibility of 3 statute miles, overcast sky at 400 feet agl, light rain and mist, wind variable at 3 knots, temperature 19°C, dew point 19°C, and a barometric altimeter setting of 30.11 inches of mercury.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N56258
Model/Series: PA28R 200
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: PDK, 998 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 19°C / 19°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , Variable
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 400 ft agl
Visibility:  3 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.11 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Atlanta, GA (PDK)
Destination: Salisbury, NC (RUQ)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 33.856944, -84.290556 (est)






Loss of Control on Ground: Cessna 172N Skyhawk, N5815E; accident occurred March 03, 2020 at Madison Municipal Airport (KIMS), Jefferson County, Indiana




Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Indianapolis, Indiana

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:
Location: Madison, Indiana
Accident Number: CEN20CA112
Date & Time: March 3, 2020, 17:06 Local
Registration: N5815E
Aircraft: Cessna 172 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control on ground
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

Analysis

According to the flight instructor, during the third approach, he took the controls from the student pilot and informed the student that he would land the airplane. The airplane was configured with "minimal flaps" due to gusting crosswind conditions. During landing, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a direct crosswind. The airplane bounced on touchdown and subsequently exited the right side of the runway, entered soft mud, and then nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The flight instructor's failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose-over.

Findings
Personnel issues Aircraft control - Instructor/check pilot
Aircraft Directional control - Not attained/maintained
Environmental issues Gusts - Effect on operation
Environmental issues Crosswind - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Other weather encounter
Landing-flare/touchdown Abnormal runway contact
Landing-flare/touchdown Loss of control on ground (Defining event)
Landing-flare/touchdown Runway excursion
Landing-flare/touchdown Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Landing-flare/touchdown Nose over/nose down

Student pilot Information

Certificate: None 
Age: 18, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None 
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: None None 
Last FAA Medical Exam:
Occupational Pilot: No 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: (Estimated) 4 hours (Total, all aircraft), 4 hours (Total, this make and model), 4 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 3 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Flight instructor Information

Certificate: Flight instructor 
Age: 48, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane single-engine 
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without waivers/limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: September 11, 2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: July 24, 2018
Flight Time: (Estimated) 1127 hours (Total, all aircraft), 20 hours (Total, this make and model), 1043 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 33 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 17 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N5815E
Model/Series: 172 N
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1978 
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal 
Serial Number: 17271942
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle 
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: November 1, 2019 Annual 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2300 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 1769.6 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C126 installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A4N
Registered Owner: 
Rated Power: 180 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: IMS,819 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 21:55 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 7000 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 19 knots / 27 knots 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction: 270° 
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 
Temperature/Dew Point: 13°C / 0°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Madison, IN (IMS)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Madison, IN (IMS)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 16:20 Local
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Madison Muni IMS 
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 819 ft msl
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 21 
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5000 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full stop

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries:
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 38.759998,-85.464721(est)

Loss of Engine Power (Partial): Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger, N32AE; accident occurred March 04, 2020 in Clark, Randolph County, Missouri

 















Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Kansas City, Missouri
Air Evac Lifeteam; O’Fallon, Missouri
Transportation Safety Board of Canada; Gatineau, FN
Rolls Royce; Indianapolis, Indiana 
Bell Helicopter; Fort Worth, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://registry.faa.gov/N32AE

Location: Clark, Missouri
Accident Number: CEN20LA113
Date & Time: March 3, 2020, 18:42 Local
Registration: N32AE
Aircraft: Bell 206
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (partial)
Injuries: 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled - Air Medical (Unspecified)

Factual Information

On March 4, 2020, about 1842 central standard time, a Bell 206 L1 helicopter, N32AE, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Clark, Missouri. The commercial pilot, two crewmembers, and one patient were uninjured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 helicopter air ambulance flight.

The pilot reported that during cruise on the patient transfer flight, the helicopter yawed right, the rotor rpm warning light illuminated, and the rpm aural indication sounded. The engine continued to operate but was producing less than 90% power. The pilot reduced collective and turned the helicopter toward a field for a precautionary landing. The helicopter touched down hard and the tail boom sustained substantial damage.

A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that a pneumatic line, exhibited a separation near its filter connection. The pneumatic line and filter were shipped to the engine manufacturer for examination, which revealed that the tube was fractured completely through at the toe of the weld between the tube and its filter fitting. Surface smearing was present on sections of the separation; however, the separation exhibited surfaces consistent with fatigue that initiated near the top of the tube.

The tube’s outer diameter surface near the elbow separation exhibited rub damage. A photo of the engine bay showed that a red ribbed hose was present in the engine bay near the tube separation and the ribbed hose exhibited discoloration on its outer surface.

Measurements taken during non-destructive examination revealed that the height of the weld root reinforcement exceeded its component specifications. The remaining tube and weld measurements met their component specifications.

A polished cross-section through the weld on the fitting side fracture revealed the fatigue fracture was located at the toe of the weld, initiating at the approximate intersection of the weld heat affected zone (HAZ) and the weld metal of the tube. There were no material anomalies at the fatigue origin location. The fatigue fracture progressed approximately along the intersection between the HAZ and weld metal near the outer diameter surface before proceeding into the HAZ to the inner diameter surface at this plane of examination. Additionally, the weld and base metal microstructures were consistent with the materials required by the component specifications and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed that the tube, fitting, and weld materials also met component specifications.

The outer diameter of the filter housing exhibited depressions and deformations consistent with tool marks.

The line was sectioned near its intact (non-failed) connector weld for a computed tomography (CT) examination, which revealed indications of three voids within that tube weld area. The void indications ranged in diameter from 0.0019 to 0.0026 inch. 

A pneumatic leak check was performed 114.9 hours before the accident flight. The tube was last removed 238.9 hours before the accident flight. A leak in the pneumatic line can cause the engine control system to enter a sub-idle fuel flow condition and result in an engine power loss.

After the accident, the operator examined their fleet of helicopters equipped with Rolls Royce 250-C30 engines and no other pneumatic line leaks were found. According to the engine manufacturer, this was the first occurrence of failure involving this pneumatic line design, which was released in 1998. Since that time, the fleet equipped with the pneumatic line had accumulated a total of 17 million flight hours.

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial 
Age: 55, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter 
Restraint Used: 5-point
Instrument Rating(s): Helicopter 
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations 
Last FAA Medical Exam: May 14, 2019
Occupational Pilot: Yes 
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: February 29, 2020
Flight Time: 5252 hours (Total, all aircraft), 383 hours (Total, this make and model), 4221 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 7 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 2 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bell 
Registration: N32AE
Model/Series: 206 L1 
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 1979
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 45327
Landing Gear Type: Skid 
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: February 13, 2020 100 hour 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4150 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 
Engines: 1 Turbo shaft
Airframe Total Time: 27820.7 Hrs as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Rolls Royce
ELT: C126 installed, not activated 
Engine Model/Series: 250-C30P
Registered Owner:
Rated Power: 650 Horsepower
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: On-demand air taxi (135)
Operator Does Business As: 
Operator Designator Code: EVCA

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCOU,778 ft msl 
Distance from Accident Site: 19 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 18:54 Local 
Direction from Accident Site: 181°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility 10 miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: / 
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /
Wind Direction:
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /
Altimeter Setting: 30.05 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 9°C / -2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Kirksville, MO (MU92)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Destination: Columbia, MO (91MO)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 18:12 Local
Type of Airspace: 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 3 None 
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 39.277221,-92.357498(est)