Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3 accident near Palmer, AK
On March 28, 2021, an Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Palmer, AK. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 28, 2021
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Aircraft
- Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 61.452°N, 148.365°W
- NTSB ID
- 20210328102813
Official records · WPR21FA143
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Operations/human Performance Factual Report Attachment 13 A��base Radio Operator Training Information: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- NTSB Email Communication With Tml: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 27, 2021, about 1836 Alaska daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3, N351SH, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. The helicopter was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 as an on-demand air charter flight. Representatives from the operator, Soloy Helicopters, reported that the helicopter was under contract to Tordrillo Mountain Lodge (TML) to transport passengers from a private residence on Wasilla Lake, Wasilla, Alaska, to the Chugach Mountains to conduct heli-ski operations. (The Organizational and Management section of this report provides additional information about Soloy Helicopters and TML.) According to Heli Ski US (HSUS), which is a trade association that promotes helicopter skiing safety and provides support, heli-ski operations involve a “helicopter [that] is utilized to provide up-hill transportation for participants” of “guided winter recreation activities including, but not limited to skiing.” GPS data showed that the helicopter arrived at the Wasilla Lake residence about 1450. About 53 minutes later, the helicopter departed the residence and flew toward the Chugach Mountains. The surviving passenger recalled “nice” but “kind of creepy weather” in the mountains, which delayed the departure for the ski trip. The helicopter arrived at the intended operating area about 19 minutes later and subsequently flew multiple runs between about 1612 and 1807. GPS data showed
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to adequately respond to an encounter with whiteout conditions, which resulted in the helicopter’s collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the (1) operator’s inadequate pilot training program and pilot competency checks, which failed to evaluate pilot skill during an encounter with inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions, and (2) the Federal Aviation A
From Wikipedia
On 27 March 2021, an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter crashed near the Knik Glacier, Palmer, Alaska. Five occupants died, including Czech billionaire entrepreneur Petr Kellner; one occupant survived.
Text from Wikipedia, “2021 Knik Glacier helicopter crash”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
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 · Airbus 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.
