Aerospatiale AS350-B2 accident near Valdez, Alaska, March 15, 2005
On March 15, 2005 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350-B2 (helicopter), registered N295EW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valdez, Alaska. It was a positioning 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an object while hover taxiing, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking a sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2005 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Valdez, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350-B2 · all AS350-B2s on the register
- Registration
- N295EW · no longer on the register · serial 2095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo commercial certificated helicopter pilot was repositioning the helicopter in a parking lot that was being used to load skiers. As the pilot hovered the helicopter, the "door ajar" light illuminated on the enunciator panel, which distracted the pilot's attention momentarily. The helicopter drifted aft, and the main rotor blades struck a sign post. A postaccident inspection of the main rotor blades revealed damage to two of the three main rotor blades. On April 25, it was determined by a repair station that one main rotor blade was unairworthy, and could not be repaired. The operator indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,200 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 6,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Last Frontier Air Ventures LTD
The flight
- Departed from: Valdez AK at 12:00 pm
- Destination: Valdez AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.