Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, August 8, 2012
On August 8, 2012, a Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N, registered N737TV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Delta Junction, Alaska (Pogo Mine Airstrip airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to clear the left landing gear skid, which resulted in the entanglement of the left landing gear skid with a log, and his subsequent application of collective pitch, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2012
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · Pogo Mine Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600N · all 600Ns on the register
- Registration
- N737TV · no longer on the register · serial RN017
- 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 transporting personnel from a remote elevated helipad constructed of logs. Witnesses stated that the helicopter had just touched down, and the pilot turned his head to give the signal to board when the helicopter suddenly pitched up and back, striking trees at the edge of the helipad. The helicopter rolled down the hill. A postaccident examination of the helipad revealed that one of the logs that made up the rear portion of the helipad decking had been pulled from the structure and damaged. Based on the lack of mechanical anomalies with the helicopter and the damage to the helipad decking, it is likely the pilot landed too far forward on the helipad, which allowed the tail of the left skid to fall into the open area between the logs and become entangled. It is likely that the pilot sensed the imbalance and applied collective pitch, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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 (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 19,500 hours in all; 306 in this make and model; 306 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,730 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 13, 2012; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce C-47 Series (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aurora Aviation Services Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 76AK Delta Junction AK at 7:25 pm
- Destination: 76AK Delta Junction AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PABI, 41 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC12FA084.