Hughes 500D accident near Ambler, Alaska, July 8, 2005
On July 8, 2005 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Hughes 500D (helicopter), registered CGLHQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ambler, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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 clearance from an object while landing, which resulted in the main rotor blades 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 8, 2005 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ambler, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 500D
- Registration
- CGLHQ · no longer on the register · serial 200662D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated air taxi helicopter pilot was taking passengers to a remote landing site. During the landing approach, the helicopter's main rotor blades inadvertently struck a tree. The helicopter landed without further mishap, but inspection of the main rotor blades disclosed that the blades were damaged beyond 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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 189 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 21,600 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,691.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2005; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Prism Helicopters, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PAMF Ambler AK at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Ambler AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 CGLHQ 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.