Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N accident near Delta Junction, AK
On August 8, 2012, a Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Delta Junction, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 8, 2012
- Place
- Delta Junction, AK
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 64.442°N, 144.885°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120808X44331
Official records · ANC12FA084
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 7, 2012, about 1645 Alaska daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas MD600N helicopter, N737TV, sustained substantial damage while landing on a remote helipad near Pogo Mine, 38 miles Northeast of Delta Junction, Alaska. The helicopter was being operated by Aurora Aviation Services, Inc., Delta Junction, as a 14 CFR Part 135 visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand charter flight when the accident occurred. The certificated airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following was in effect. The flight departed from the Pogo Mine. The helicopter had been based at Pogo Mine since May, 2012. Its primary purpose was to support exploratory gold mining operations, by transporting personnel and equipment to remote drilling sites. Remote helipads were constructed at numerous drilling sites to provide improvised landing platforms. The remote helipad at Rig 3 was located approximately 1 mile southeast of the Pogo Mine runway, in an area of steep, heavily forested terrain, at an elevation of about 2,700 feet MSL. The helipad was constructed of logs interlaced and nailed together to provide an improvised landing platform. The platform was approximately 16 feet wide by 21 feet long. The logs forming the platform deck were placed only at the forward and aft section of the log frame. With two logs, approximately 8 inches in diameter forming the forward platform deck, followed by approximately 4 feet of open space, then a single 6 inch diameter log, followed by approximately 8 feet of open space, and then 4 lo
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to clear the left landing gear skid, which resulted in the entanglement of the left landing gear skid with a log, and his subsequent application of collective pitch, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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Browse: Alaska · Mcdonnell Douglas 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.
