Aerospatiale AS350-B accident near Girdwood, Alaska, February 7, 2002
On February 7, 2002 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350-B (helicopter), registered N6080D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Girdwood, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate distance from a radio antenna during landing. A factor was the presence of an antenna.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2002 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Girdwood, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350-B · all AS350-Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6080D · no longer on the register · serial 2054
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was transporting a radio techinian to a remote radio repeater site in a helicopter. The area near the repeater site was snow covered. During the landing, one main rotor blade on the accident helicopter struck a radio antenna. The pilot was not aware of any collision with the antenna at the time of the landing, but discovered damage to a main rotor blade later in the day. The damaged rotor blade was removed and a replacement blade installed. The damaged rotor blade was returned to the manufacturer in France for repair.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,214 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 15, 2001; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,810 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQY Girdwood AK at 2:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.