Robinson R-22 accident near Whittier, Alaska, March 6, 2002
On March 6, 2002 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Robinson R-22 (helicopter), registered N8316N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whittier, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's Failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing. Factors associated with the accident are variable wind conditions, and the pilot's improper approach to the landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2002 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Whittier, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 · all R-22s on the register
- Registration
- N8316N · registry record · serial 2480
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing ridge top landings. He made his last approach perpendicular to the ridgeline. He said because he did not use a parallel approach to the ridge, and there were no wind indicators, he did not perceive an apparent wind shift. On final approach he turned parallel to the ridge, and made the landing with a tailwind. He was unable to arrest the high rate of descent, and forward airspeed, and landed hard on the ridge. The main rotor struck the tail boom, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,200 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 120 in the last 30 days; 9,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,142.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 2001; 92.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2l (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQY Girdwood AK at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 5°F (-15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8316N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC02LA021.