Bell 204B accident near Copper Harbor, AK
On May 2, 1993, a Bell 204B (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Copper Harbor, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 2, 1993
- Place
- Copper Harbor, AK
- Aircraft
- Bell 204B · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 55.610°N, 131.579°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X12256
Official records · ANC93FA056
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 2, 1993, at approximately 1250 Alaska daylight time, a Bell 204B helicopter, N204AQ, collided with the ground during a precautionary landing at Copper Harbor, Alaska. The helicopter was operated by Chet Rasberry, Inc., d.b.a. CRI Helicopters, under 14 CFR Part 133, for aerologging business purposes. Operating in visual meteorological conditions on a company VFR flight plan, the helicopter had been engaged approximately 5 hours in aerologging at the site, 30 miles southwest of Ketchikan, Alaska. The commercial pilot, as sole occupant in the left pilot's seat, sustained fatal injuries and an employee of CRI on the ground received minor injuries. The helicopter was destroyed. Witnesses told investigators that the chief pilot, referred to as "Doc," had told the accident pilot, during the previous few days prior to the accident, to adopt a new flight path from the pickup site to the drop area, described as "straight down in an autorotation and dropping the logs." The NTSB and FAA investigators were told by the logging crew at Copper Harbor on May 3, 1993, the pilot had expressed reservations to logging camp employees about "being able to do it" (the new procedure) on the evening of May 1, 1993. In a statement provided investigators, a ground crewman whose job it was to hook logs to the helicopter's long line cable, estimated the new descent procedure to take "11 to 12 seconds to descend from me to the landing." He described the log pick up elevation to be approximately 1200 feet above sea level. Investigators estimated the log landing site and crash site
Probable cause
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, AND IMPROPER HELICOPTER OPERATIONS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE OPERATOR RESULTING IN REPETITIVE AT AND OVER MAXIMUM LOADS. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: MATERIAL DEFECT OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX (INADEQUATE QUALITY CONTROL) BY THE COMPANY/OPERATOR, AND INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF BOTH THE COMPANY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY BY THE FAA.
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Browse: Alaska · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
