Robinson Helicopter Company R44 accident near Solomon, Alaska, August 3, 2017
On August 3, 2017 at about 6:32 pm local time, a 2008 Robinson Helicopter Company R44, registered N4138M, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Solomon, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above water, and his loss of situational awareness, which resulted in an inadvertent descent and collision with water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2017 · about 6:32 pm local time
- Place
- Solomon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2008
- Registration
- N4138M · no longer on the register · serial 12159
- 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 conducting a commercial charter flight for the passenger to place mineral claim markers. He stated that, while flying over a lagoon at an altitude lower than he "should have been," while making inputs to the GPS unit, he likely inadvertently applied forward cyclic and allowed the helicopter to descend into the water below. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Although helicopters operated under 14 CFR Part 135 are required to be equipped with radar altimeters, the accident helicopter was not, as the operator had been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate the helicopter without one. It is likely that if a radar altimeter was installed in the helicopter at the time of the accident, was functioning properly, and was set to provide an aural warning at a predetermined altitude, the pilot may have had adequate time to recognize and stop the inadvertent descent before impact with water.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of visual reference during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,818 hours in all; 266 in this make and model; 184 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 742 as pilot in command; 1,690 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 9, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,053.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 8, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 Series (piston); 2,105 hours total
- Operator: Bering Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: OME Nome AK
- Destination: OME Nome AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on January 5, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Bering Air Operations Specifications A160 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA N 8900.405 | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Documents | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 6 | FAA Bering Air Poi Interview Transcript | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 7 | NTSB Rhc R-44 radar Altimeter Installation Email | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Rhc R-44 Series Ipc Excerpts | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.