No fatalities

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS350B3e accident at Skwentna, AK, 20 Aug 2025

Skwentna, AK, United States

On August 20, 2025, an AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS350B3e operated by Soloy Helicopters LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Skwentna, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s inadvertent entanglement of a lightweight Kevlar long line into the helicopters operating main rotor system, resulting in a severe imbalance and separation of the main rotor gearbox. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 16 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1785761257Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadvertent entanglement of a lightweight Kevlar long line into the helicopters operating main rotor system, resulting in a severe imbalance and separation of the main rotor gearbox.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotEffect on operation