History of Flight
On March 27, 2021, about 1836 Alaska daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3, registration N351SH, sustained substantial damage in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. The helicopter was operated by Soloy Helicopters under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand air charter flight for Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, transporting passengers for heli-ski operations in the Chugach Mountains.
GPS data showed the helicopter arrived at a private residence on Wasilla Lake about 1450. After a delay due to weather, it departed for the mountains about 53 minutes later. The helicopter conducted multiple ski runs between about 1612 and 1807. The last run began at 1827:05, climbing to about 5,900 ft mean sea level. Final movements started about 1833 over a ridgeline at 6,266 ft msl (about 14 ft above ground) with a groundspeed of 1 knot. The data track ceased at 1836:42 near the accident site.
According to the surviving passenger, the pilot attempted to land on the ridgeline, then pulled up to reposition. The helicopter became engulfed in fog, and another passenger yelled “don’t do it” before the helicopter “began going backward real fast and impacted the rocky mountainside several times.”
Personnel Information
The pilot had completed recurrent training on January 21, 2021, including a competency check and line check. He also completed CFIT-A ground training in January 2021 and IIMC flight training in January 2020, which lasted 1 hour and covered tail rotor failures, autorotations, emergency ops, pinnacle landings, slopes, and heli-ski operations. The company’s IIMC training consisted only of unusual attitude recovery.
Aircraft Information
The AS350-B3 was equipped with a Garmin Aera 660 GPS (VFR certified but capable of displaying IFR procedures) and a Kannad 406-MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) installed in the right baggage compartment.
Meteorological Information
An upper air sounding from Anchorage at 1600 showed light surface wind from the north, increasing to 21 knots from 350° at 6,000 ft, with a temperature of -17°C. The atmosphere was conditionally unstable below 6,000 ft. Mountain wave activity and light turbulence below 8,000 ft were indicated. Northerly winds south of the ridgeline would have produced downslope flow near the accident site. A pilot on Knik Glacier reported light surface wind but strong wind at altitude; a snowmobile operator observed snow plumes and estimated wind at 30–40 mph from the west.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The helicopter impacted terrain 15–20 ft below the ridgeline top. The main wreckage came to rest on its right side about 500 ft downslope, with debris extending 900 ft. Postaccident examination found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The ELT was packed with snow, its antenna fractured, but it functioned and transmitted for 178 hours.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot determined his cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries; toxicology was negative. The senior lead guide (left front seat) died from blunt force head injury; his blood contained amphetamine (96 ng/ml), cocaine (52 ng/ml), and benzoylecgonine (1,000 ng/ml). The other lead guide (aft seat No. 1) died from multiple blunt force injuries; his blood contained THC at 1.1 ng/ml.
Survival Aspects
The helicopter had six seats: pilot front right, front left passenger, and a rear bench with four positions. The senior lead guide was in the front left; the other lead guide in aft seat No. 1; deceased passengers in aft seats No. 2 and 4; the survivor in aft seat No. 3. The survivor was stuck in snow inside the wreckage, later freed by rescuers. He was hospitalized with an internal temperature of 82°F and frostbite.
Search efforts began after TML’s flight-follower noted no movement; the helicopter was reported overdue at 2025. Wreckage was located at 2136 by an Alpha Aviation helicopter under contract to Third Edge Heli. An Alaska Air National Guard helicopter arrived at 2333, hoisted pararescue personnel at 0015, and transported the survivor to Anchorage, arriving at 0136.
Organizational Information
Soloy Helicopters operated 17 helicopters and employed about 20 pilots under Part 135. The company’s pilot training program included a CFIT-A manual addressing whiteout and IIMC, but no specific IIMC flight training module beyond unusual attitude recovery. Training for unprepared site or ridgeline operations was not documented.