Were there any fatalities in the 27 Mar 2021 2021 Alaska Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter crash accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 5 fatalities.

Helicopter Crash Near Knik Glacier Kills Five, Injures One (N351SH)

Q: What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 27 Mar 2021 involved a 2021 Alaska Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter crash, registration N351SH, at United States.

On March 27, 2021, a 2021 Alaska Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter crash (registration N351SH) was involved in an aviation accident near United States. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot’s failure to adequately respond to an encounter with whiteout conditions. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors.

On 27 March 2021, an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter crashed near Knik Glacier, Alaska, resulting in five fatalities and one survivor. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to respond to whiteout conditions, with contributing factors including inadequate training and oversight.

Background

On 27 March 2021, an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, registration N351SH, was involved in a crash near the Knik Glacier in Palmer, Alaska. The aircraft was on a heliskiing trip in the backcountry.

Accident

The helicopter struck a mountain between Metal Creek and Grasshopper Valley at an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet (1,700 m). Impact occurred 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4 m) from the top of the ridge, after which the aircraft rolled downhill for about 800 to 900 feet (240 to 270 m). The tracking signal stopped, and authorities were notified of the missing helicopter two hours later. The crash happened at approximately 18:35 Alaska Daylight Time.

GPS data from the final three minutes of the flight indicated that the helicopter was hovering at low altitude and low speed (about one knot, or 1 mph) while maneuvering over the ridge.

Victims

Five of the six occupants died. Among the deceased was Czech billionaire entrepreneur Petr Kellner. According to court filings, Kellner survived the initial crash and lived for two more hours but died while awaiting rescue. Another victim is also believed to have survived initially. The lone survivor was found five hours after the crash and rescued six hours after; he lost all fingers on his left hand and some fingers on his right hand. Legal action was taken by the families of Kellner and two other victims.

Investigation

The wreckage was transported to Anchorage for examination. A preliminary report was released on 13 April 2021. The final report stated that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot’s failure to adequately respond to an encounter with whiteout conditions." Contributing factors included the operator’s inadequate pilot training program and pilot competency checks, which did not evaluate pilot skill during inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions, and insufficient oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration principal operations inspector, including approval of the operator’s training program without ensuring it met requirements. Additionally, delayed notification of search and rescue organizations contributed to the severity of the surviving passenger’s injuries.