Ground Collision: Cessna 150, N5614E and Cessna 525C Citation CJ4, N511AC; fatal accident occurred April 02, 2018 at Marion Municipal Airport (KMZZ), Grant County, Indiana

Kyle M. Hibst 

1986 - 2018

David K. Wittkamper

1986 - 2018

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

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

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Indianapolis, Indiana
Cessna; Wichita, Kansas 

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

Location: Marion, Indiana

Accident Number: CEN18FA132

Date & Time: April 2, 2018, 15:09 Local

Registration: N5614E

Aircraft: Cessna 150

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Defining Event: Ground collision

Injuries: 2 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis

A single-engine airplane was taking off from runway 15 about the same time that a multi-engine business jet landed on a nearly perpendicular runway (runway 22). The single-engine airplane, piloted by a private pilot, was departing on a local flight. The jet, piloted by an airline transport pilot, was rolling down the runway following a straight-in visual approach and landing. The single-engine airplane collided with the empennage of the jet at the intersection of the two runways. Witnesses in the airport lounge area heard the pilot of the single-engine airplane announce on the airport's universal communications (UNICOM) traffic advisory frequency a few minutes before the accident that the airplane was back-taxiing on the runway. The pilot of the jet did not recall making any radio transmissions on the UNICOM frequency and review of the jet's cockpit voice recorder did not reveal any incoming or outgoing calls on the frequency. The pilots of both airplanes were familiar with the airport, and the airport was not tower controlled.

The airport had signage posted on all runways indicating that traffic using the nearly perpendicular runway could not be seen and instructed pilots to monitor the UNICOM. A visibility assessment confirmed reduced visibility of traffic operating from the nearly perpendicular runways. The reported weather conditions about the time of the accident included clear skies with 4 miles visibility due to haze. Both airplanes were painted white.

It is likely that the pilot of the jet would have been aware of the departing traffic if he was monitoring the UNICOM frequency. Although the jet was equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), he reported that the system did not depict any conflicting traffic during the approach to the airport. Although the visibility assessment showed reduced visibility from the departing and arrival runways, it could not be determined if or at what point during their respective landing and takeoff the pilot of each airplane may have been able to see the other airplane. In addition to the known reduced visibility of the intersecting runways, both airplanes were painted white and there was reported haze in the area, which could have affected the pilots' ability to see each other. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane as they converged on intersecting runways. Contributing to the accident was the jet pilot's not monitoring the airport's traffic advisory frequency, known reduced visibility of the intersecting runways, and hazy weather condition.

Findings

Personnel issues Lack of action - Pilot

Personnel issues Lack of action - Pilot of other aircraft

Environmental issues (general) - Contributed to outcome

Environmental issues (general) - Contributed to outcome

Personnel issues Lack of communication - Pilot of other aircraft

Factual Information

History of Flight

Takeoff Ground collision (Defining event)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private 

Age: 31, Male

Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land

Seat Occupied: Left

Other Aircraft Rating(s): None 

Restraint Used: Lap only

Instrument Rating(s): None 

Second Pilot Present: No

Instructor Rating(s): None

Toxicology Performed: Yes

Medical Certification: Class 3 With waivers/limitations

Last FAA Medical Exam: May 3, 2017

Occupational Pilot: No

Last Flight Review or Equivalent: October 18, 2017

Flight Time: 71.9 hours (Total, all aircraft), 10.6 hours (Total, this make and model), 23.7 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 10.6 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 8.6 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 

Registration: N5614E

Model/Series: 150 UNDESIGNATED

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Year of Manufacture: 1958 

Amateur Built: No

Airworthiness Certificate: Normal

Serial Number: 17114

Landing Gear Type: Tricycle

Seats: 2

Date/Type of Last Inspection: January 1, 2018 Annual 

Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1499 lbs

Time Since Last Inspection:

Engines: 1 Reciprocating

Airframe Total Time: 4035 Hrs as of last inspection

Engine Manufacturer: CONT MOTOR

ELT: Installed, not activated 

Engine Model/Series: O-200 SERIES

Registered Owner: Rated Power: 100 Horsepower

Operator: On file 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: MZZ,858 ft msl 

Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles

Observation Time: 16:55 Local 

Direction from Accident Site: 0°

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear

Visibility: 4 miles

Lowest Ceiling: None

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts: 9 knots /

Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /

Wind Direction: 140° 

Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /

Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg 

Temperature/Dew Point: 5°C / -1°C

Precipitation and Obscuration:

Departure Point: Marion, IN (MZZ)

Type of Flight Plan Filed: None

Destination: Marion, IN (MZZ)

Type of Clearance: None

Departure Time: 15:08 Local 

Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Marion Municipal Airport MZZ

Runway Surface Type: Asphalt

Airport Elevation: 858 ft msl

Runway Surface Condition: Dry

Runway Used: 15 

IFR Approach: None

Runway Length/Width: 3456 ft / 100 ft 

VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal 

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal

Aircraft Fire: On-ground

Ground Injuries: N/A 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 2 Fatal 

Latitude, Longitude: 40.490833,-85.679725

Location: Marion, Indiana

Accident Number: CEN18FA132

Date & Time: April 2, 2018, 15:09 Local 

Registration: N511AC

Aircraft: Cessna 525C

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Defining Event: Ground collision

Injuries: 5 None

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation

Analysis

A single-engine airplane was taking off from runway 15 about the same time that a multi-engine business jet landed on a nearly perpendicular runway (runway 22). The single-engine airplane, piloted by a private pilot, was departing on a local flight. The jet, piloted by an airline transport pilot, was rolling down the runway following a straight-in visual approach and landing. The single-engine airplane collided with the empennage of the jet at the intersection of the two runways. Witnesses in the airport lounge area heard the pilot of the single-engine airplane announce on the airport's universal communications (UNICOM) traffic advisory frequency a few minutes before the accident that the airplane was back-taxiing on the runway. The pilot of the jet did not recall making any radio transmissions on the UNICOM frequency and review of the jet's cockpit voice recorder did not reveal any incoming or outgoing calls on the frequency. The pilots of both airplanes were familiar with the airport, and the airport was not tower controlled.

The airport had signage posted on all runways indicating that traffic using the nearly perpendicular runway could not be seen and instructed pilots to monitor the UNICOM. A visibility assessment confirmed reduced visibility of traffic operating from the nearly perpendicular runways. The reported weather conditions about the time of the accident included clear skies with 4 miles visibility due to haze. Both airplanes were painted white.

It is likely that the pilot of the jet would have been aware of the departing traffic if he was monitoring the UNICOM frequency. Although the jet was equipped with a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), he reported that the system did not depict any conflicting traffic during the approach to the airport. Although the visibility assessment showed reduced visibility from the departing and arrival runways, it could not be determined if or at what point during their respective landing and takeoff the pilot of each airplane may have been able to see the other airplane. In addition to the known reduced visibility of the intersecting runways, both airplanes were painted white and there was reported haze in the area, which could have affected the pilots' ability to see each other. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The failure of both pilots to see and avoid the other airplane as they converged on intersecting runways. Contributing to the accident was the jet pilot's not monitoring the airport's traffic advisory frequency, known reduced visibility of the intersecting runways, and hazy weather condition.

Findings

Personnel issues Lack of action - Pilot

Personnel issues Lack of action - Pilot of other aircraft

Environmental issues (general) - Contributed to outcome

Environmental issues (general) - Contributed to outcome

Personnel issues Lack of communication - Pilot

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing-landing roll Collision during takeoff/land

Pilot Information

Certificate: Airline transport Age: 70,Male

Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine land; Multi-engine land

Seat Occupied: Left

Other Aircraft Rating(s): None

Restraint Used: 5-point

Instrument Rating(s): Airplane 

Second Pilot Present: No

Instructor Rating(s): Airplane multi-engine; Airplane single-engine

Toxicology Performed: No

Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations 

Last FAA Medical Exam: May 1, 2017

Occupational Pilot: Yes

Last Flight Review or Equivalent: June 24, 2017

Flight Time: 35437 hours (Total, all aircraft), 2537 hours (Total, this make and model), 35237 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 67 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 12 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna 

Registration: N511AC

Model/Series: 525C C 

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Year of Manufacture: 2012 

Amateur Built: No

Airworthiness Certificate: Normal

Serial Number: 525C0081

Landing Gear Type: Retractable - Tricycle

Seats: 10

Date/Type of Last Inspection: March 9, 2018 Annual 

Certified Max Gross Wt.: 17100 lbs

Time Since Last Inspection: 13 Hrs

Engines: Turbo jet

Airframe Total Time: 2537 Hrs at time of accident

Engine Manufacturer: Williams

ELT: C126 installed, not activated 

Engine Model/Series: FJ44-4A

Registered Owner: 

Rated Power: 3621 Lbs thrust

Operator: On file 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC)

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: MZZ,858 ft msl 

Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles

Observation Time: 16:55 Local 

Direction from Accident Site: 0°

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Visibility 4 miles

Lowest Ceiling: None

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts: 9 knots / 

Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  /

Wind Direction: 140°

Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  /

Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg 

Temperature/Dew Point: 5°C / -1°C

Precipitation and Obscuration:

Departure Point: Jackson, MI (JXN)

Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR

Destination: Marion, IN (MZZ)

Type of Clearance: IFR

Departure Time: 16:30 Local 

Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Marion Municipal Airport MZZ 

Runway Surface Type: Asphalt

Airport Elevation: 858 ft msl

Runway Surface Condition: Dry

Runway Used: 15

IFR Approach: None

Runway Length/Width: 3456 ft / 100 ft

VFR Approach/Landing: None

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries: 4 None 

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries: N/A

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 5 None

Latitude, Longitude: 40.490833,-85.679725

Cirrus SR22 GTS, N644SR: Accident occurred March 28, 2021 in Marana, Pima County, Arizona

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 Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona

Cirrus Aircraft ASI 

OC Aviation LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N644SR

Location: Marana, AZ

Accident Number: WPR21LA145

Date & Time: March 28, 2021, 14:28 Local

Registration: N644SR

Aircraft: CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

SR22 Injuries: 2 None

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On March 28, 2021, about 1428 pacific daylight time, a Cirrus SR-22, N644SR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Marana, Arizona. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that while enroute to destination airport, the airplane experienced heavy vibrations and moments later a complete loss of engine power. He attempted to maneuverer to a nearby airport but determined that he did not have the attitude. He attempted to deploy the airplane's parachute to no avail. He then selected a dirt road and made an off-airport landing, the right main landing gear

collapsed, and the right wing impacted the ground. According to the pilot, oil was seen streaking down both sides of the cowling.

The airplane was relocated to a secured facility for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION

Registration: N644SR

Model/Series: SR22 

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Operator: 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: KTUS,2019 ft msl 

Observation Time: 14:00 Local

Distance from Accident Site: 23 Nautical Miles

Temperature/Dew Point: 11°C /-3°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 140°

Lowest Ceiling: None 

Visibility: 10 miles

Altimeter Setting: 30.25 inches Hg

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

Departure Point: 

Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries: 1 None 

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries: 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 2 None 

Latitude, Longitude: 32.45,-111.2 (est)

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that a single-engine aircraft made a crash landing on Pump Station Road in the Avra Valley area near Tucson Sunday.

One man and one female whose age is unknown were in the plane when it crash-landed. Both escaped the incident without injuries, said Deputy James Allerton, Pima County Sherriff’s Department spokesperson.

The roadway will be closed between Avra Valley Road and El Tiro Road while the Sheriff's Department investigates.

No further information was immediately available.

The area is known for its parachuting and aerial recreation, according to Allerton.

https://www.azcentral.com

 

AVRA VALLEY, Arizona (KGUN) — The Pima County Sheriff's Department is investigating a crash landing of a single-engine small airplane in Avra Valley Sunday afternoon.

Deputies responded to the crash landing with two occupants on Pump Station Road between Avra Valley Road and El Tiro Road, PCSD says.

The roadways will be closed until further notice.

There are no injuries reported from the landing.

The investigation is ongoing.

https://www.kgun9.com

Aerodynamic Stall / Spin: Cessna 172P Skyhawk II, N54222; accident occurred April 02, 2019 at Oconee County Regional Airport (KCEU), Clemson, South Carolina

 

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office; West Columbia, South Carolina

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

https://registry.faa.gov/N54222

Location: Clemson, SC
Accident Number: GAA19CA194
Date & Time: 04/02/2019, 1630 EST
Registration: N54222
Aircraft: Cessna 172
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spin
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional

Analysis

The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, as the nosewheel touched down on the runway, he felt a "strong vibration," and the airplane veered left. He tried to correct by pulling back on the yoke, but the airplane became airborne and continued veering left, and the left wing impacted a ramp left of the runway.

Examination of video surveillance revealed that, shortly after landing, the airplane veered left. The airplane then became airborne, aerodynamically stalled, and the left wing dropped and impacted the ramp.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The manager reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack when it inadvertently became airborne, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. 

Findings

Aircraft
Angle of attack - Capability exceeded (Cause)
Directional control - Not attained/maintained (Cause)

Personnel issues
Aircraft control - Student pilot (Cause)

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing
Loss of control on ground
Attempted remediation/recovery
Aerodynamic stall/spin (Defining event)

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Student
Age: 32, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s):None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 10/19/2018
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  (Estimated) 59.5 hours (Total, all aircraft), 59.5 hours (Total, this make and model), 7.6 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 30.1 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 13.6 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 3.9 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna
Registration: N54222
Model/Series: 172 P
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1981
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal; Utility
Serial Number: 17274926
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/27/2019, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2550 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 3138 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Lycoming
ELT: C126 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-360-A4M
Registered Owner: Velocity Aviation Llc
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: Velocity Aviation Llc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light:Day 
Observation Facility, Elevation: KCEU, 891 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 2054 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 272°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 7500 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: Light and Variable /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: None / None
Wind Direction: Variable
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 15°C / -2°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Lawrenceville, GA (LZU)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: VFR
Destination: Clemson, SC (CEU)
Type of Clearance: VFR Flight Following
Departure Time: 1530 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: OCONEE COUNTY RGNL (CEU)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 890 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 25
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5000 ft / 100 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 34.671944, -82.883611 (est)

Tecnam P2002 Sierra, N656DF: Accident occurred March 28, 2021 in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California

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; San Jose, California

Airway Inc

https://registry.faa.gov/N656DF

Location: Watsonville, CA 

Accident Number: WPR21LA146

Date & Time: March 28, 2021, 14:04 UTC

Registration: N656DF

Aircraft: COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE TECNA P2002 SIERRA 

Injuries: 1 None

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE TECNA

Registration: N656DF

Model/Series: P2002 SIERRA

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Amateur Built: No

Operator: 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: 

Condition of Light:

Observation Facility, Elevation: KWVI,160 ft msl 

Observation Time: 13:53 Local

Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles

Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C /8°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: 

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots / , 240°

Lowest Ceiling: 

Visibility: 10 miles

Altimeter Setting: 30.25 inches Hg 

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

Departure Point:

Destination:

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None 

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries:

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries:

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 1 None 

Latitude, Longitude: 36.935722,-121.78963 (est)

    

WATSONVILLE, California  — Firefighters were responding after an airplane crashed Sunday near Pajaro Valley High School, according to initial reports from California Highway Patrol.

A CHP incident report from 2:14 p.m. said an aircraft was confirmed down, having power lines and started a fire in the area of Harkins Slough Road and Lee Road.

The crash site is near Pajaro Valley High School.

There were no immediate reports of injuries and no other details were immediately available.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com

Controlled Flight into Terrain: Rans S-6ES Coyote II, N265GB; accident occurred April 02, 2019 in Lafe, Greene County, Arkansas

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration Flight Standards District Office; Little Rock, Arkansas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

https://registry.faa.gov/N265GB

Location: Lafe, AR
Accident Number: CEN19LA116
Date & Time: 04/02/2019, 1732 CDT
Registration: N265GB
Aircraft: BERKEY S-6ES
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The noncertificated pilot reported that, while on approach for landing at the private turf runway, he was "blinded by the sun" and allowed the airplane to descend too low. The tailwheel hit vines growing near the runway, and the left wing subsequently impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane and added that the accident may have been prevented by landing at a different time or by clearing the vegetation around the runway.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath while landing toward the sun, which resulted in impact with vegetation and a subsequent loss of control.

Findings

Aircraft Descent/approach/glide path - Not attained/maintained

Personnel issues Aircraft control - Pilot

Environmental issues Glare - Contributed to outcome

Personnel issues Qualification/certification - Pilot

Factual Information

On April 2, 2019, about 1732 central daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Berkey S-6ES airplane, impacted vegetation on final approach at a private turf airstrip near Lafe, Arkansas. The pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Blytheville Municipal Airport (HKA), Blytheville, Arkansas, about 1700. The private airstrip was the intended destination.

The pilot reported that he was relocating the airplane from HKA to be based at the private airstrip which was closer to his home. He made one low pass over the field before returning to land. On final approach, he was "blinded by [the] sun" and the tailwheel hit vines growing near the airstrip which caused the airplane to stall. The left wing struck the ground resulting the substantial damage. In addition, the left main landing gear and propeller were damaged during the hard landing. The pilot noted that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane. He added that the accident might have been prevented by either landing at a later time so that the sun would not have "blinded" him or by clearing the vegetation near the runway to ground level.

Information received from the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the pilot did not hold a current pilot or medical certificate at the time of the accident. The pilot was initially issued a combined third-class medical and student pilot certificate in August 1994 by an aviation medical examiner. However, upon further review by the FAA, additional information unrelated to any medical deficiency was requested from the pilot. When the requested information was not received, the pilot was determined to be ineligible for a medical certificate and the application was denied. No other medical or pilot certificate applications were on file.

The airplane was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate and met the requirements for operation as a light sport airplane. Regulations required pilot and medical certification in order to operate the airplane. Specifically, any individual operating a light sport airplane must hold a sport pilot or higher level of certification, or a current student pilot certificate with the applicable endorsements. In addition, a light sport airplane may be operated based on a valid driver's license provided the pilot was determined to be eligible for a medical certificate at the time of his/her most recent application, and not had his/her most recently issued medical certificate suspended or revoked. Because the pilot did not hold a current pilot certificate, nor did he meet the medical certification requirements, he was not legally authorized to act as pilot-in-command of the airplane at the time of the accident.

History of Flight

Approach-VFR pattern final Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) (Defining event)

Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: None
Age: 61, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied:Left 
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
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:  82 hours (Total, all aircraft), 82 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 1 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 0.5 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 0 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: BERKEY
Registration: N265GB
Model/Series: S-6ES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1999
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: 04991312
Landing Gear Type: Tailwheel
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 10/02/2013, Condition
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1320 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 5224 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: 912
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 80 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: 4M9, 293 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1715 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 337°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 14 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 200°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.09 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 20°C / 3°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Blytheville, AR (HKA)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Lafe, AR (PVT)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1700 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Private (PVT)
Runway Surface Type: Grass/turf
Airport Elevation: 340 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry; Rough
Runway Used: 27
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 1200 ft / 40 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 None
Latitude, Longitude: 36.204444, -90.548889

Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil, N351SH: Fatal accident occurred March 27, 2021 and Accident occurred August 03, 2017

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.

Additional Participating Entities:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska

Federal Aviation Administration; Fort Worth, Texas

Safran Helicopter Engines; Grand Prairie, Texas

Airbus Helicopters USA; Grand Prairie, Texas 

Soloy Helicopters

https://registry.faa.gov/N351SH

Location: Palmer, AK 

Accident Number: WPR21FA143

Date & Time: March 27, 2021, 18:35 Local

Registration: N351SH

Aircraft: Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3

Injuries: 5 Fatal, 1 Serious

Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled

On March 27, 2021, about 1835 Alaska daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3, N351SH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135 on-demand charter flight.

Representatives from the operator reported that the helicopter was contracted by a local lodge to transport passengers from a private residence on Wasilla Lake, Wasilla, Alaska, to the Chugach Mountain Range to conduct heli-ski operations.

Data obtained from a handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit showed that the helicopter departed Wasilla Airport about 1440 and arrived at the Wasilla Lake residence about 10 minutes later. About 53 minutes later, the helicopter departed the residence and flew toward the Chugach Mountains. The helicopter arrived at the intended operating area about 19 minutes later and subsequently flew multiple legs from 1612 and 1807.

The GPS data showed that the helicopter departed again at 1827:05 on a northwest heading and climbed to about 5,900 ft mean sea level (msl).

The data showed that the helicopter’s final movements began about 1833 over a ridgeline at 6,266 ft msl (about 14 ft agl), at a groundspeed of 1 kt. The helicopter maintained a low altitude and groundspeed as it maneuvered over the ridgeline for the next few minutes. The data track ceased at 1836:42 near the final resting point of the main wreckage. 

A representative from the operator stated that the helicopter was due to return to its base at 2000. Once it had not returned, they initiated their company procedures for an overdue aircraft. The wreckage was located by helicopter about 2130.

An aerial assessment of the accident site by a National Transportation Safety Board investigator the day after the accident revealed that the helicopter impacted terrain about 15 to 20 ft below the top of a ridge line. The total debris field extended about 900 ft downslope from the top of the ridge line. 

The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Airbus Helicopters

Registration: N351SH

Model/Series: AS350-B3

Aircraft Category: Helicopter

Amateur Built: No

Operator:

Operating Certificate(s) Held: Rotorcraft external load (133), On-demand air taxi (135)

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: PAAQ,230 ft msl

Observation Time: 18:53 Local

Distance from Accident Site: 23 Nautical Miles

Temperature/Dew Point: 1°C /-12°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 330°

Lowest Ceiling: 

Visibility: 10 miles

Altimeter Setting: 29.89 inches Hg

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

Departure Point: Wasilla, AK 

Destination: Palmer, AK 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Passenger Injuries: 4 Fatal, 1 Serious 

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries:

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 5 Fatal, 1 Serious

Latitude, Longitude: 61.451718,-148.36552 (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. 

Pilot Zachary Russell

Outside Online

By Marc Peruzzi

Apr 10, 2021

On Saturday, March 27, a helicopter carrying Petr Kellner, 56, a citizen of the Czech Republic and one of the world’s wealthiest men, crashed near the Knik Glacier in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. The accident was widely reported; the crash killed five people and left one person hospitalized in stable but serious condition, making it the deadliest heli-skiing aviation accident in North American history. Judging by the timing of the crash, at 6:35 P.M., it was likely the final run of the day. The trip was chartered with Colorado company Third Edge Heli and based out of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. The death count included fellow Czech Benjamin Larochaix, 50; the pilot, Zachary Russell, 33, of Anchorage; Denali and heli-ski guide Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood, Alaska; and lead guide and Third Edge Heli owner Gregory Harms, 52, of Aspen. 

Since the news broke, rumors have flown in the ski world, but the cause of the crash remains unknown. We’ll have a much clearer picture of what happened when the flight recorders are examined and the survivor is interviewed. The investigation, run by the National Transportation Safety Board and likely backed by private accident investigators, is ongoing and, as with the case of the crash that killed former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, could take more than a year to complete.

But we do have a couple details on the accident and a wealth of background knowledge to pull from about heli-skiing to provide some context. 

Alaskan heli-skiing has a reputation for extreme risk. And if we’re talking slope angles, cliffs, crevasses, and avalanches, that reputation is well-earned—much of it takes place on high-consequence terrain where falls sometimes don’t stop until the mountains do. But while the skiing is always assumed to be dangerous, the flying isn’t typically viewed that way. It should be.  

I am not a pilot. But my brother-in-law, Richard Bovey, is just wrapping up a long career as an Army Chinook pilot. He flew those 100-foot-long, dual-propeller aircraft in the Himalayan mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Over 16 years, he also ran 50-plus rescue missions as pilot-in-command on Washington’s Mount Rainier. In reporting this story, I asked Richard to help me put the technical aspects of mountain flying into a layperson’s terms. 

For a nitty-gritty explanation of how helicopters and airplanes fly, check out the lift equation. For our purposes, all you need to know is that, essentially, the higher you go in a helicopter, the worse it performs and the harder the engine works. The weight of the craft, including fuel and cargo, is also a factor in staying aloft—the more weight, the lower you must fly. And the helicopter model matters, too. Different machines handle altitude differently. A Eurocopter/Airbus AS50—the aircraft in the fatal crash—is an excellent machine for heli-skiing in Alaska, where the elevations don’t get too extreme—usually between 2,500 and 10,000 feet—but it doesn’t have the lift of a Chinook with its two powerful engines and dual rotors. In Nepal and the Alps, the Eurocopter/Airbus AS350 is a favorite workhorse. Regardless of the aircraft, fly too high into air that isn’t dense enough to support the weight of the heli, and the rotor will droop and then stall.

The best mountain pilots know all this stuff and plan accordingly. (In the military, pilots typically attend the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site school in Colorado before they’re deployed to mountain-flying duties.) Beyond the equation, such planning involves always leaving yourself an exit. You do this by approaching a ridge or a summit at an angle—ideally rising toward a point above the feature on a 45-degree path, so if something goes wrong, you can backtrack on that same path and return to what pilots call “clean air”—away from a mountain’s wind currents—to regain sufficient lift. Richard once drooped his rotor in an active rescue on Rainier and has experienced the edges of helicopter performance on many occasions. But by always leaving an exit, he was able to maneuver out of those situations. “You can’t cheat gravity or physics,” Richard says. “Often you’re planning as you fly, but the planning never stops.” 

Now add in mountain weather. I once heli-skied outside of Valdez, and the visibility looked pretty good to me—it wasn’t blue, but I could see the nearby summits. Still, we didn’t fly that day. When I asked the pilot why, he said the milky conditions were too risky. Because all the heli-skiing and flying in Alaska happens above treeline, and often there are no trees at all, your depth perception goes to hell in the flat light—pilots often experience vertigo in such situations. Any skier who’s descended a treeless bowl in fog can relate. We call it skiing in a milk bottle. In the air, Richard likens it to flying inside of a ping-pong ball. In those conditions, it’s easy to misjudge airspeed and closing distances. Richard has lost close friends—military pilots—because they simply miscalculated how far their blades were from the mountainside. For an example from heli-skiing, one need only look to 2019, when a heli-ski pilot took off in the Caribous of British Columbia—and almost immediately lost visibility, setting the machine down hard at an angle and causing it to roll over. Luckily, all 12 passengers and the pilot walked away.

Mountain winds further aggravate these situations. Experienced pilots can often read the moisture in the air and know what types of winds to expect and where. But winds can also hit with no visual warnings. A sudden downdraft coming over a peak can travel at 3,000 feet per minute and push a helicopter into a mountain. Ditto if a pilot is setting up to toe the skid of a helicopter into an Alaskan face to unload skiers and the ten-knot headwind shifts to a ten-knot tailwind. In such scenarios, you might have time to react, or the computers on today’s sophisticated aircraft might react for you, but there’s always a delay between when the pilot moves the stick and the movement of the machine itself. “Helicopters are weird animals even at sea level,” Richard says. “In the last 20 years of Afghan flying, we’ve lost far more aircraft to mountains than to the enemy.”  

And now for the nuance. Mountain flying is fundamentally unsafe. It’s physics. And with helicopters, when things go bad, they do so dramatically. But the aviation side of heli-skiing has a strong safety record, especially in North America. If that seems contradictory, it’s not. With the right amount of planning, systems, and experience, it’s possible to make the unsafe—deep dives, moonwalks, BASE jumping, heli-skiing—safer. 

The last multi-fatality heli-ski crash in the United States occurred in 1994 in Nevada. That accident, which was the result of a mechanical failure, killed four, including the president and COO of Disney. The year before that, an accident outside of Aspen, Colorado, claimed three lives, also the result of a mechanical failure. In the 1980s, a horrible crash in the Bugaboos of British Columbia trapped clients in a fiery wreckage. (Bell redesigned its B12 helicopters after that for better emergency egress.) Since those early days, there have been incidents—hard landings, helicopters slipping off ridges—but the longtime guides I interviewed for this story can’t recall another fatal crash in the United States, and in 22 years of reporting on skiing, I can’t either. In the intervening years, helicopters have grown more powerful and reliable, and the helicopter services that contract with heli-ski outfitters have become more exacting in their training and protocols. If you added up all the tens of thousands of flight hours associated with heli-skiing’s history, fatal crashes are incredibly rare. A ballpark estimate would put the hours clocked in U.S. heli-skiing at 2,000-plus a year. “If we had crashes every year, we simply would not have a heli-skiing industry,” says ski mountaineer and heli-ski guide Chris Davenport. 

Most big-mountain skiers know the risks of helicopter skiing. It’s ingrained in the culture. In the mid-1990s, a helicopter crashed outside of Portillo, Chile. Flying at 13,500 feet, the pilot misjudged the airspeed as he closed on a mountain. The ensuing crash killed the pilot instantly. A rising-star ski photographer from Telluride named T.R. Youngstrom died while waiting for first responders. The survivors were a who’s who of skiing at the time, including filmmaker Steve Winter of Matchstick Productions and Seth Morrison, arguably the greatest big-mountain skier of all time. Also on board that day: Gregory Harms.

Which gets us to the second tragedy of the past weekend. Because of Kellner’s wealth, most of the headlines followed the schadenfreude theme: “Rich man dies heli-skiing.” But the skiing and mountaineering communities suffered a loss as well. 

Standing six-foot-four with a chest like a middle linebacker, Harms was a boisterous giant sleeved in tattoos. Without question, he had a reputation for pushing skiers to their limits, which is why he had a loyal clientele. As such, he was a pioneer of modern heli-skiing, and his persona filled a room. Not content to only heli-ski in Alaska’s short season from mid-February through April, Harms became a privateer, founding what would become Third Edge Heli with Clark Fyans in 2007. The outfit piggybacked on the local knowledge of existing operations but brought their own clients. “Most heli-ski outfits operate out of a specific tenure,” Davenport says. “Harms’s tenure was the entire world.” 

It was Harms’s goal to never let a client—or anyone, for that matter—outski him. Pro athletes would send a big line for the camera. And then, off camera, Harms would detonate it. While most guides tried to lighten their packs, Harms would load his down. Physics seemed different for him. Able to shovel large volumes of snow, he had a reputation for blazing rescues. When Fyans was buried to his neck in a 2009 South American avalanche that left him with a compound fracture, he knew he’d be out in five minutes. (When it was Harms who was buried in 2014, Fyans freed him. As Harms rolled over, he said, “What’s up, fucker?” to his pal.) 

McManamy, too, was a character out of heli-ski guide central casting. As a kindergarten student, McManamy told his mom that he would never work in an office. A New Hampshire kid, he’d developed a love for skiing and mountains early on and later attended the outdoorsy Camp Belknap. After studying outdoor education in college, he worked as a mountaineering guide on Denali. A younger kid from the New Hampshire camp named Dan Starr followed McManamy’s path. They reconnected in Girdwood, a small resort town southeast of Anchorage, as heli-ski and mountain guides.

Like Harms, McManamy was a large person with a voice that matched. “One time, we were on Denali, and everyone was sleeping at Camp 2 at 11,000 feet,” Starr says. “In the middle of the night, Sean called out in his booming voice, ‘Does anyone know where Mount McKinley is?’ He had a talent to make serious situations lighthearted. If I said something sincere about him, he would give me shit. It wasn’t disrespectful. He just wanted to lift people up. He saved snakebit trips just by his presence. He would not want me to talk somberly of him now.” 

Beyond his extended family and a wide network of climbing and skiing friends, McManamy leaves behind his wife, Caitlin Hague, also an Alaskan heli-ski guide. Harms leaves behind his partner, Chantel Ramsey, and their ten-week-old daughter. 

It makes sense that Harms and McManamy found themselves in the same helicopter on that Saturday. There is a saying in heli-skiing guide circles that sounds a bit macabre given the current context: “Don’t kill the billionaire.” The quote illustrates how interconnected the welfare of heli-ski guides is with the well-being of their uber-rich clients. The entire business of hand-to-mouth heli-ski guides getting to avoid office jobs and ski in the big mountains they love hinges on the massive income inequalities they share with some of their guests. Multimillionaires and billionaires have long propped up their favorite guiding outfits. With the cash to repeatedly experience an activity that starts at $15,000 a week, the mega-rich act like angel investors to these small companies with high overheads and short revenue streams. It’s not unusual for the rich to buy into the business to keep it running. In the pursuit of not killing the billionaires, two guides—not one—will often fly with the wealthiest guests. The client pays for the second guide’s seat. 

With that dynamic explained, I feel obligated to raise one question specific to the crash. It’s a similar query that some had after the accident that killed Bryant. Did Kellner’s vast wealth, and the spoken and unspoken influence of such power, somehow affect the outcome of the day’s events? 

The sole survivor might know. I do not. Although I sincerely hope that was not the case. 

In the wake of the deaths of Harms and McManamy and the young pilot Russell, the small world of guides and skiers is reconnecting. The dream of skiing big lines won’t soon fade. There are too many counterculture kids born each year who will never work in offices but will find a path in guiding. Call it an extreme embrace of vitality. Call it a day job. But the dangerous game will play on.

https://www.outsideonline.com

Pilot Zachary Russell

The lone survivor of the March 27 helicopter crash in the Chugach Mountains that killed five people has expressed an interest in talking to federal investigators about what happened.

The National Transportation Safety Board is ramping up its investigation into the crash in steep backcountry above Knik Glacier.

The crash of the Soloy Helicopters Airbus AS350B3 about 21 miles southeast of Palmer during a heli-skiing trip killed the pilot, two respected guides with deep ties to Alaska and two Europeans including 56-year-old Petr Kellner, a billionaire entrepreneur considered one of the wealthiest men in Europe.

Rescuers found survivor David Horváth, a 48-year-old Czech snowboarder, inside the wreckage with four of the five victims. A fifth was outside the aircraft.

The NTSB’s Alaska chief, Clint Johnson, last week said he initially got no response when he reached out to request an interview with Horváth through Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.

Johnson on Wednesday said that Horváth through a representative says he’s willing to be interviewed but is not currently able to do so.

“It will probably be a while,” Johnson said.

The extent of Horváth’s injuries has yet to be made clear.

Horvath spent four days in serious condition at Providence before his condition was upgraded to good. He was no longer listed as a patient at the hospital as of Saturday and remained in that status on Wednesday, Providence spokesman Mikal Canfield said. Generally, that can mean a patient has been released or that they have requested their name be removed for privacy.

A team of NTSB investigators is starting to examine the wreckage in Anchorage after it was moved there Tuesday from Mat-Su due to concerns about COVID-19 rates there, Johnson said. Additional investigators are still arriving in Alaska and will begin interviews this week.

The crash killed 33-year-old pilot Zachary Russell, of Anchorage; guides Greg Harms, 52, of Colorado, and Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood; Kellner and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, both of the Czech Republic, according to Alaska State Troopers. French media have identified Larochaix as being from France.

The agency isn’t likely to release the first report on the crash until next week.

https://www.adn.com

A contracted helicopter carrying guides and guests from a lodge on a heli-skiing trip in Southcentral Alaska’s backcountry crashed Saturday evening, killing the pilot and four others, including the Czech Republic’s richest man.

The only other person onboard was in serious but stable condition Sunday night at an Anchorage hospital, Alaska State Troopers said.

The five killed in the crash were identified as Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado; Petr Kellner, 56, and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, both of the Czech Republic; and two Alaskans, Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood, and the pilot, Zachary Russell, 33, of Anchorage, troopers said Sunday.

The five passengers included three guests and two guides from Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, said lodge spokeswoman Mary Ann Pruitt.

The only survivor of the crash was identified by a Czech media outlet as David Horvath, a 48-year-old Czech snowboarder. Alaska State Troopers did not immediately respond Monday to a request for more information about the survivor. Horvath remained in serious condition at Providence Alaska Medical Center on Monday, a hospital spokesman said.

Kellner was a billionaire businessman and financier with a net worth over $17 billion, according to the Forbes 2020 list of the world’s richest people.

Kellner owned a 98.93% stake in the PPF Group, an international investment company. The group operates in 25 countries in Europe, Asia and North America with assets of $52 billion. PPF Group confirmed Kellner’s death.

“His professional life was known for his incredible work ethic and creativity, but his private life belonged to his family,” a message posted on the PPF Group website said.

The funeral is planned for only close family members, and the company asked the media to respect the privacy of the family.

Kellner and Larochaix “were loyal and frequent” guests at the lodge, Pruitt said in an email to the Associated Press.

Harms was a pioneering heli-ski guide in Alaska and worked for many years at the lodge, Pruitt said. “Greg was one of the most experienced guides in the business,” she said. He also founded a heli-ski company that led trips across the world.

McManamy had been a guide for over 10 years, and was with the lodge for the last five, she said. He was also an avalanche instructor and an experienced mountain guide on Denali, North America’s tallest peak.

Russell was a pilot for Soloy Helicopters, a Wasilla-based company that is contracted by the lodge to provide transportation, Pruitt said.

“This news is devastating to our staff, the community in which we operate and the families of the deceased,” a statement released by the lodge said.

The Eurocopter AS50 crashed at 6:35 p.m. Saturday under unknown circumstances near Knik Glacier, about 50 miles northeast of Anchorage in the Chugach Mountains and about 21 miles southeast of Palmer, said Clint Johnson, chief of the Alaska office of the National Transportation Safety Board, which will investigate the crash.

“It’s in an area of very steep terrain, snow-covered terrain, right around 5,000 to 6,000 feet ... on the north side of Knik river,” he said.

“The mode we’re in now is to recover the wreckage,” he said. He said the goal was to get the recovery done quickly, before the arrival of a forecasted snowstorm.

Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is about 60 miles northwest of Anchorage. The lodge bills itself as a luxury multisport resort, and offers guided heli-skiing packages through the winter that start at $15,000 per person.

The statement from lodge said this was the first time in its 17 years in business “we’ve had to face an event of this measure.”

Soloy Helicopters has a fleet of 19 helicopters providing charter services primarily in Alaska.

Its website says it provides support to government and industry, specializing in work for seismic oil drilling exploration programs. Soloy Helicopters did not immediately respond to an email to The Associated Press seeking comment Sunday.

Alaska State Troopers said in a statement Sunday that they received a report of an overdue helicopter and the location of possible crash debris Saturday night.

A rescue team from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was dispatched to the crash site in the area of Knik Glacier just after 10 p.m., troopers wrote. The team arrived to find five occupants dead and a sole survivor, who was taken to a hospital.

The Alaska Army National Guard and volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group recovered the bodies from the crash site Sunday and turned them over to the state medical examiner.

A temporary flight restriction placed over the glacier has been lifted, troopers said.

https://www.adn.com

AK21031918

Location: Knik Glacier

Type: Rotorcraft Crash

Update 3/28 1650

The Alaska Army National Guard and volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group have recovered the deceased from the helicopter crash site near Knik Glacier. 

Next of kin for the deceased have been notified, and they are identified as:

52-year-old Colorado resident Gregory Harms

56-year-old Czech Republic resident Petr Kellner

50-year-old Czech Republic resident Benjamin Larochaix

38-year-old Girdwood, Alaska resident Sean McMannany

33-year-old Anchorage, Alaska resident Zach Russel (pilot) 

The injured passenger remains in serious but stable condition and is receiving medical care at an Anchorage area hospital. 

The helicopter was an Airbus AS350B3 owned by Soloy Helicopters of Wasilla, Alaska. 

The group is believed to have been heli-skiing in the area. 

The NTSB will conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash. 

The deceased have been turned over to the Alaska State Medical Examiner. 

The Temporary Flight Restriction that was in place over the Knik Glacier area has been lifted.

The Alaska State Troopers would like to thank the volunteers from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and our partners at the Alaska Army National Guard for their assistance in the recovery operations. 

Update 3/28 1211: A temporary flight restriction is currently in place from 1100 hrs 3/28 to 1100 hrs 3/29 near Knik Glacier for a recovery mission. Pilots should avoid the area. More information and detailed coordinates can be found at: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_1_1372.html

Original: On March 27, 2021, at approximately 2200 hours, Alaska State Troopers were notified of an overdue helicopter and the location of possible crash debris in the area of Knik Glacier. The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center dispatched a rescue team who located the crash site. The rescuers found a sole survivor at the crash site and transported the individual for medical care; the survivor is currently in serious but stable condition. Five other occupants of the helicopter were found deceased. The Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Army National Guard, and Alaska Mountain Rescue Group will attempt recovery efforts at the crash site today. Next of kin notifications are ongoing. The NTSB will be conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

Additional Participating Entities: 

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Fairbanks, Alaska

Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses; Paris

Airbus Helicopters; Grand Prairie, Texas

Safran Helicopter Engines; Grand Prairie, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket

https://registry.faa.gov/N351SH

Location: Delta Junction, Alaska

Accident Number: ANC17CA041

Date & Time: August 3, 2017

Registration: N351SH

Aircraft: Airbus AS350 

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Defining Event: Collision during takeoff/land

Injuries: 2 None

Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled

Analysis

The helicopter pilot reported that he was transporting a passenger to a remote drilling site where a tracked drilling unit was stationed. He reported that he landed into the wind, which necessitated descending over bordering trees into the drilling site. The helicopter touched down on the dirt, and upon lowering the collective, he reported that he heard a "bang," and the helicopter slowly started to "pick up a ground wobble." The pilot shut down the helicopter, and both occupants exited without further incident.

A postaccident inspection revealed that the blue and red main rotor blades sustained substantial damage from impacting a black 1.5-inch steel frame attached to the tracked drilling unit, which is used to mount a canvas weather shelter for the drilling crews. The pilot reported that the steel frame was not visible to him from above as he was descending into the drilling site. The pilot further reported that he had made multiple landings at the drilling site in the past 3 months and that, with the previous landings, he had

landed farther past the tracked drilling unit, and the steel frame was always behind the helicopter.

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The Federal Aviation Administration Helicopter Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-21A, 2012) discusses high and low reconnaissance procedures and states, in part:

The purpose of conducting a high reconnaissance is to determine direction and speed of the wind, a touchdown point, suitability of the landing area, approach and departure axes, and obstacles for both the approach and departure.

A low reconnaissance is accomplished during the approach to the landing area. When flying the approach, verify what was observed in the high reconnaissance, and check for anything new that may have been missed at a higher altitude, such as wires and their supporting structures (poles, towers, etc.), slopes, and small crevices.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a steel frame attached to a tracked drilling unit. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to visually identify the steel frame during the reconnaissance process.

Findings

Personnel issues Monitoring environment - Pilot

Environmental issues Ground equipment - Effect on operation

Factual Information

History of Flight

Landing Miscellaneous/other

Landing Collision during takeoff/land (Defining event)

Landing Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Commercial 

Age: 64, Male

Airplane Rating(s): None

Seat Occupied: Right

Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter 

Restraint Used: 4-point

Instrument Rating(s): None 

Second Pilot Present: No

Instructor Rating(s): None

Toxicology Performed: No

Medical Certification: Class 2 With waivers/limitations

Last FAA Medical Exam: May 12, 2017

Occupational Pilot: Yes

Last Flight Review or Equivalent: May 12, 2017

Flight Time: (Estimated) 14998 hours (Total, all aircraft), 2300 hours (Total, this make and model), 14800 hours (Pilot In Command, all aircraft), 340 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 167 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft), 5 hours (Last 24 hours, all aircraft)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Airbus

Registration: N351SH

Model/Series: AS350 B3 

Aircraft Category: Helicopter

Year of Manufacture: 2008 

Amateur Built: No

Airworthiness Certificate: Normal

Serial Number: 4598

Landing Gear Type: Skid

Seats: 6

Date/Type of Last Inspection: June 19, 2017 100 hour 

Certified Max Gross Wt.: 4961 lbs

Time Since Last Inspection: 

Engines: 1 Turbo shaft

Airframe Total Time: 3823.7 Hrs as of last inspection

Engine Manufacturer: Safran Helicopter Engines

ELT: C126 installed, not activated 

Engine Model/Series: Arriel 2B1

Registered Owner:

Rated Power: 847 Horsepower

Operator: 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: Rotorcraft external load (133), On-demand air taxi (135), Agricultural aircraft (137)

Operator Does Business As: SOLOY HELICOPTERS, LLC

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual (VMC) 

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: PABI,1277 ft msl

Distance from Accident Site: 35 Nautical Miles

Observation Time: 20:53 Local 

Direction from Accident Site: 217°

Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 6500 ft AGL

Visibility: 10 miles

Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 11000 ft AGL

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts: 13 knots / 

Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:  / None

Wind Direction: 180° 

Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:  / N/A

Altimeter Setting: 30.12 inches Hg 

Temperature/Dew Point: 22°C / 8°C

Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation

Departure Point: DELTA JUNCTION, AK (76AK)

Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR

Destination: DELTA JUNCTION, AK (76AK)

Type of Clearance: None

Departure Time: 

Type of Airspace: Class G

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None

Aircraft Damage: Substantial

Passenger Injuries: 1 None 

Aircraft Fire: None

Ground Injuries: N/A 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 2 None 

Latitude, Longitude:  64.467781,-144.914993(est)