Eurocopter AS350B3 accident near Stevens Village, Alaska, March 24, 2013
On March 24, 2013 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Eurocopter AS350B3 (helicopter), registered N353DL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Stevens Village, Alaska. It was a business flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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
The pilot’s inadvertent cyclic control input after landing, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2013 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Stevens Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350B3 · all AS350B3s on the register
- Registration
- N353DL · no longer on the register · serial 7319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot was supporting a seismic drilling operation at a remote drill site. He had just completed moving one of the seismic drills via long line and had landed the high-skid, turbine-powered helicopter in a clear area to wait for the next move. After landing, before reducing the power to flight idle and locking the flight controls, the pilot opened the right-side door, returned his right hand to the cyclic, and leaned out to ensure the tail rotor was clear of obstacles. While looking rearward, the pilot inadvertently moved the cyclic to the right, and the helicopter rolled up on the right skid. He immediately applied left cyclic, but the main rotor blades struck the snow. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor system, tail boom, and fuselage. The pilot indicated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that the accident might have been avoided if he had used the collective lock before engaging in activities outside the cockpit.
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 control on ground during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 3,036 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,210 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 16, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 6,173 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SVS Stevens Village AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: SVS Stevens Village AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -29°F (-34°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.