3 fatalities

31 Mar 2013: EUROCOPTER AS350 (N911AA) — State of Alaska — Talkeetna, AK

Talkeetna, AK, United States

On 31 Mar 2013, an EUROCOPTER AS350 (registration N911AA) operated by State of Alaska was involved in an aviation accident near Talkeetna, AK. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

On March 30, 2013, a Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, N911AA, crashed during a search and rescue mission near Talkeetna, Alaska, killing the pilot, an observer, and the rescued snowmobiler.

Accident Details

On March 30, 2013, at 2320 Alaska daylight time, a Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter, registration N911AA, impacted terrain while maneuvering during a search and rescue flight near Talkeetna, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a public aircraft operations flight by the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

Flight History

The helicopter had originated at 2313 from a frozen pond near the location of a stranded snowmobiler who had requested rescue. The flight was destined for an off-airport location about 16 miles south. The area was experiencing instrument meteorological conditions at the time of the accident.

Aircraft and Crew Information

The helicopter was a Eurocopter AS350 B3, registered to and operated by the Alaska Department of Public Safety. On board were the airline transport pilot, an Alaska state trooper serving as a flight observer, and the stranded snowmobiler.

Injuries and Damage

All three occupants were killed. The helicopter was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire.

Investigation

A full report is available from the National Transportation Safety Board under report number NTSB/AAR-14/03.

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operationPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintainedOther governmentOperatorFAA/RegulatorFlt operations/dispatcher