Bell UH-1B accident near Iliamna, Alaska, June 30, 2008
On June 30, 2008 at about 6:30 am local time, a Bell UH-1B (helicopter), registered N64RA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Iliamna, Alaska (Iliamna airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure of company maintenance personnel to ensure the helicopter was properly maintained, resulting in a severe in-flight vibration due to collective bounce. Contributing to the accident was loose and worn bearings on the helicopter's stabilizer bar, swashplate, flight control tube assemblies, and the right and left hydraulic servos.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2008 · about 6:30 am local time
- Place
- Iliamna, Alaska · Iliamna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1B · all UH-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N64RA · no longer on the register · serial 65-12854
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot said that as the helicopter approached the destination airport during a Part 91 repositioning flight, he elected to make a practice autorotation to the runway. As he lowered the collective to enter the autorotation, the helicopter began to vibrate violently. He continued the autorotation to runway, and stated that during the landing flare the helicopter's tail boom contacted the runway, the helicopter rocked forward, and the landing gear skids struck the ground. The hard landing resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom assembly, and main rotor transmission supports. A maintenance technician that did a postaccident inspection of the helicopter discovered loose and worn bearings on the helicopter's stabilizer bar, swashplate, flight control tube assemblies, and the right and left hydraulic servos. In a written report the maintenance technician reported that the mechanical discrepancies he discovered during his inspection were, in part: "noted as being the root cause of the vertical vibration..."
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
What happened, in order
- Simulated/training event during approach
- Autorotation Flight control sys malf/fail defining event
- Autorotation Loss of control in flight
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Rotorcraft flight control › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 29,500 as pilot in command; 7,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,050 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 450 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 22, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-53 SERIES; 0 hours total
- Operator: Pollux Avaition LTD
The flight
- Departed from: Platinum AK
- Destination: ILI Iliamna AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 07, 5,086 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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 N64RA 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.