Robinson R-44 accident near Ketchikan, AK
On August 29, 2002, a Robinson R-44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 29, 2002
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 55.425°N, 130.808°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020910X01577
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 28, 2002, about 2025 Alaska daylight time, a Robinson R-44 helicopter, N7189T, sustained substantial damage during a collision with water, after an in-flight loss of control at Winstanley Lake, about 40 miles east of Ketchikan, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial pilot and the sole passenger received fatal injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Ketchikan at 1940. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on August 29, a flight service specialist from the Ketchikan Flight Service Station (FSS) said he had spoken with the pilot of the accident helicopter on the afternoon of August 28. He said the pilot told him he and his passenger were going to spend the night in a public use cabin at Winstanley Lake, and that they would return around noon on August 29. The pilot requested that in the event they did not return, he would like the FSS specialist to send someone to the lake to look for them in the event they were having trouble with the helicopter. When the helicopter did not return the following day, the FSS specialist, who was in radio contact with a charter pilot transiting the area of Winstanley Lake, asked the charter pilot to check the area of the lake for the helicopter. The charter pilot reported seeing the helicopter floating inverted in Winstanley Lake. On August 3
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter in-flight due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with the surface of a lake. Factors contributing to the accident were the high terrain surrounding the lake, and the lack of visual cues due to the dark night and low clouds.
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Browse: Alaska · Robinson 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.
