Bell 212 accident near Wasilla, Alaska, July 16, 2002
On July 16, 2002 at about 1:40 am local time, a Bell 212 (helicopter), registered N5017H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, and failure to maintain clearance with trees, which resulted in the main rotor blade striking a tree.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2002 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Wasilla, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 212 · all 212s on the register
- Registration
- N5017H · no longer on the register · serial 30930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the public use helicopter was landing a fire fighting crew in a confined, off-airport area near a fire line. During the landing, he unknowingly struck a tree with a main rotor blade, which resulted in substantial damage to the blade. He off-loaded the fire crew, and continued to fly the helicopter for approximately 30 minutes. When he returned to the accident site to recover the fire fighters, they told him that they had discovered a rotor blade strike on a tree. The pilot examined the rotor blades, and found that a main rotor blade had a gash in the skin and internal honeycomb structure.
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, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,760 hours in all; 1,160 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 8,660 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,093 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 16, 2002; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: State Of Alaska
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N5017H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.