 The helicopter involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 27, 2021 (2021-03-27) |
| Summary | Pilot error in IMC |
| Site | near Knik Glacier, Palmer, Alaska 61°26′49″N 148°23′28″W / 61.447°N 148.391°W / 61.447; -148.391 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus AS350 B3 |
| Operator | Soloy Helicopters |
| Registration | N351SH |
| Occupants | 6 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 1 |
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.
Aircraft
The helicopter involved in the accident was an Airbus AS350B3, registration N351SH.
Accident
Knik Glacierclass=notpageimage| Approximate location of the accident, Knik Glacier (Alaska)
On 27 March 2021, an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter crashed near the Knik Glacier, Palmer, Alaska during a heliskiing trip in Alaska's backcountry.
The helicopter crashed into a mountain between Metal Creek and Grasshopper Valley at about 5,500 feet (1,700 m), 10 or 15 feet (3 or 4 m) from the top of the ridge, and rolled some 800 or 900 feet (240 or 270 m) downhill. The missing helicopter was reported to the authorities two hours after the tracking signal stopped.
Victims
Five occupants died, one survived. One of the victims was Czech billionaire entrepreneur Petr Kellner. According to court filings, Kellner survived the crash and lived for two more hours but “died while waiting for rescue,” while another victim is also believed to have survived initially; rescuers were informed about the overdue helicopter more than 2.5 hours after the crash. The lone survivor was found 5 hours, and rescued 6 hours, after the crash; he lost all fingers of his left hand and some fingers of his right hand. The family of Kellner and two other victims filed lawsuits.
Investigation
The wreckage was moved to Anchorage for investigation. A preliminary report on the accident was published 13 April 2021; according to the preliminary report, GPS data show the helicopter hovered at a low altitude and speed (about one knot, about 1 mph), maneuvering over the ridge in the last three minutes of the flight. It crashed at about 18:35 AKDT.
According to the final report, the probable cause of the incident was "the pilot’s failure to adequately respond to an encounter with whiteout conditions"; contributing to the accident was:
The 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 the Federal Aviation Administration principal operations inspector’s insufficient oversight of the operator, including their approval of the operator’s pilot training program without ensuring that it met requirements. Contributing to the severity of the surviving passenger’s injuries was the delayed notification of search and rescue organizations.
References
- Aviation Safety Network. "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 249214". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
- "NTSB: Helicopter crash that killed 5 occurred near top of high ridge above Knik Glacier". Anchorage Daily News. 29 March 2021.
- "2 hours lapsed between last signal and overdue report on fatal Alaska helicopter flight". Anchorage Daily News. March 31, 2021.
- "Helicopter crash in Alaska backcountry ski trip kills 5". AP NEWS. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- Vigdor, Neil; Albeck-Ripka, Livia (29 March 2021). "Czech Billionaire Is Among 5 Killed in Heli-Skiing Crash Near Alaska Glacier". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-12-28.
- "2 hours lapsed between last signal and overdue report on fatal Alaska helicopter flight".
- "Dnes nezemřeme, do hodiny musí přijet, říkal Kellner po nehodě vrtulníku - Novinky". 8 April 2023.
- "Two men besides lone survivor initially survived Knik Glacier heli-ski crash, new court filings say".
- "Kellnerová žádá soud na Aljašce o prošetření smrti manžela - Novinky". 2 April 2023.
- Burke, Jill; Cordova, Gilbert (13 April 2021). "NTSB releases preliminary on deadly helicopter crash near Knik Glacier". www.alaskasnewssource.com.
- "Aviation Investigation Final Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). 27 September 2023. Retrieved 2 Sep 2024.
