Eurocopter AS 350 B2 accident near Chickaloon, AK
On April 15, 2008, an Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Chickaloon, AK. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 15, 2008
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 61.838°N, 147.377°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080421X00524
Official records · ANC08FA053
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
**This report was modified on July 7, 2015. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report.** HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 15, 2008, about 0923 Alaska daylight time, a Eurocopter AS-350-B2 helicopter, N213EH, sustained substantial damage during an emergency descent and impact with terrain, about 34 miles east of Chickaloon, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country passenger flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The helicopter was owned and operated by ERA Helicopters, LLC., Anchorage, Alaska. The commercial pilot and three passengers were killed, and one passenger, the 15-year-old stepson of one of the deceased passengers, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions were reported in the area at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the operator's base in Anchorage about 0742, en route to various communication sites near Chickaloon. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 17, the operator's general manager reported that the purpose of the flight was to shuttle State of Alaska telecommunications technicians and equipment between three remote communication sites near Chickaloon. He noted the helicopter departed the Anchorage base with only the pilot aboard. The manager said that the pilot was instructed to land at the State of Alaska's telecommunication heliport in Anchorage to pick up three technicians and their
Probable cause
An in-flight overtorque of the engine-to-transmission driveshaft resulting in disconnection of the main transmission from the engine. The overtorque likely occurred due to an in-flight main rotor blade contact with snow-covered terrain, precluding significant main rotor blade damage and ground scarring. Contributing to the severity of the surviving occupant's injuries was the helicopter operator's
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
- Textron Aviation Inc 208B, Feb 6, 2025
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jul 7, 2013
- Cessna 208, Oct 10, 2001
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jun 25, 2015
Browse: Alaska · Eurocopter 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.
