NTSB Final Report: Bell 206-L4 | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-10.28.24

Airborne-NextGen-10.29.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.30.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.24.24

Airborne-Unlimited-10.25.24

Wed, Aug 09, 2023

NTSB Final Report: Bell 206-L4

Helicopter Was Under Contract To The State Of Alaska’s Department Of Natural Resources (DNR)

Location: Wainwright, AK Accident Number: ANC23FA056
Date & Time: July 20, 2023, 11:05 Local Registration: N311MH
Aircraft: Bell 206-L4 Injuries: 4 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 135: Air taxi & commuter - Non-scheduled

On July 20, 2023, about 1105 Alaska daylight time, a Bell 206L-4 helicopter, N311MH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wainwright, Alaska. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand charter flight.

The Helicopter was owned and operated by Maritime Helicopters, Homer, Alaska, and according to the director of operations, the helicopter was under contract to the State of Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) being used to transport scientific crews to various remote locations within the North Slope region.

The Alaskan North Slope is bounded on the north by the Beaufort Sea and runs from the Canadian border to the maritime boundary with Russia in the west. The North Slope region includes a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA). Maritime Helicopters’ director of operations reported that the accident helicopter and DNR crew members were based in Utqiagvik, Alaska for the duration of the contract. He added that when the accident helicopter departed from Utqiagvik, about 1001, the anticipated route included a brief stop at the Atqasuk Airport, Atqasuk, Alaska, then continuing on to a remote site(s) to the east of Wainwright before ultimately returning to Utqiagvik. The accident helicopter was expected to return to Utqiagvik by 2030. When the helicopter did not arrive back in Utqiagvik, a North Slope Borough (NSB) Search and Rescue Sikorsky S-92 helicopter was dispatched to search for the missing helicopter.

On July 21, about 0315, NSB search and rescue crews found the partially submerged, fragmented helicopter wreckage in the shallow waters of Lake Itinik located about 30 miles east of Wainwright. The accident helicopter was equipped with a Honeywell Sky Connect Tracker system enabling realtime, flight following capabilities. The Sky Connect Tracker system broadcasts flight status data in 3-minute intervals to satellite-based receivers.

A review of archived Sky Connect data revealed that the accident helicopter departed from Utqiagvik at 1001, then it proceeded southwest to the Atqasuk Airport. After a brief stop at the Atqasuk Airport, the helicopter departed, and traveled in a northwesterly direction. The Sky Connect data ends as the helicopter passed over the southeastern shoreline of Lake Itinik, while continuing to travel in a northwesterly direction, at an altitude of 144 ft above mean sea level, with a ground speed of 93 knots.
Lake Itinik is a large, oval shaped, arctic lake, measuring more than three miles across in some areas. The terrain around Lake Itinik consists of flat, featureless, arctic tundra-covered terrain. The elevation of Lake Itinik is reported to be about 56 ft above mean sea level.

The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) traveled to Utqiagvik, along with parties to the investigation and a wreckage recovery team. On July 30, the NTSB IIC and recovery personnel successfully recovered the helicopter wreckage to the shoreline of Lake Itinik. The wreckage was later transported, by helicopter, to Utqiagvik that same day.

An initial post-accident wreckage examination was accomplished on July 30 and 31, in Utqiagvik, with parties to the investigation in attendance. The wreckage was subsequently transported to Anchorage, Alaska, and additional detailed wreckage examinations are pending.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov

Advertisement

More News

Senator Pushes FAA to Accelerate Rocket Launch Licensing

States That Current Process is Damaging National Aerospace Development US Senator Jerry Morgan is pushing the FAA to speed up the process for rocket launch licensing. He argues tha>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: RJ Gritter - Part of Aviation’s Bright New Future

From 2015 (YouTube Edition): Model Aviator Aims For Full-Scale Career While at the 2015 Indoor Electric RC Festival, referred to as eFest, ANN CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Jim Campbell>[...]

Aero-FAQ: Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories -- ITBOA BNITBOB

Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.27.24)

Aero Linx: Cardinal Flyers Online The Cardinal Flyers Online Web site was created and is maintained by me, Keith Peterson. My wife Debbie and I have owned a 1976 RG since 1985. Wit>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.27.24): Clearance Void If Not Off By (Time)

Clearance Void If Not Off By (Time) Used by ATC to advise an aircraft that the departure release is automatically canceled if takeoff is not made prior to a specified time. The exp>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC