Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Unalaska, Alaska, August 30, 2011
On August 30, 2011 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N169CW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Unalaska, 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power in cruise flight for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2011 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Unalaska, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N169CW · no longer on the register · serial 3002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, the engine ran rough for about three engine revolutions before losing total power. The pilot entered an emergency autorotation and landed the helicopter in a shallow bay. Postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation; however, a detailed engine examination was not completed. According to a carburetor icing probability chart, conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to severe carburetor icing at both cruise and glide power settings. Although carburetor icing was a possible initiating event for the loss of engine power, carburetor icing could not be determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Ditching
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 740 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bering Pacific Ranches LTD
The flight
- Departed from: DUT Unalaska AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Fort Glenn AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:58 pm from PADU, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N169CW 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.