Hughes 369 accident near Trading Bay, Alaska, March 11, 2012
On March 11, 2012 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Hughes 369 (helicopter), registered CGVEB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Trading Bay, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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 in flat-light conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2012 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Trading Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369 D · all 369s on the register
- Registration
- CGVEB · no longer on the register · serial 611006D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing at an off-airport site in flat-light conditions. After touchdown, the left skid sank into the snow, and the helicopter began rolling to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the roll with right cyclic input but overcorrected, and the helicopter entered a dynamic roll to the right. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, sustaining substantial damage to the tailboom and the main rotor drive system. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies 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
What happened, in order
- Dynamic rollover during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Flat light › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,560 hours in all; 5,450 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 4, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,207 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 13, 2012; 53 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Prism Helicopters Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Trading Bay AK
- Destination: Trading Bay AK
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.