Robinson Helicopter CO R66 accident near Kodiak, Alaska, March 3, 2021
On March 3, 2021, a 2015 Robinson Helicopter CO R66, registered N1767, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Kodiak, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An impact with ocean waters for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2021
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter CO R66, built 2015
- Registration
- N1767 · no longer on the register · serial 0660
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, the sole occupant, was making a personal cross-country flight in the helicopter. According to flight tracking data, the helicopter departed and proceeded on course for about 1 hour 33 minutes. The flight track ended when the helicopter was about 70 nautical miles (nm) from its destination, over open ocean water, at an altitude of 394 ft mean sea level, and at a groundspeed of 132 knots. When the helicopter failed to arrive at its destination, family and friends contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and an extensive search was launched. During the search and rescue (SAR) operation, an inflated yellow pop-out float believed to be from the accident helicopter was located on the ocean surface. The search continued with additional SAR assets; however, minimal debris believed to be from the helicopter was observed in the water, and the search was suspended. Days after the accident, debris was discovered on the shore of an island about 42 nm north from the accident site and identified to be from the helicopter. Most of the helicopter was not located, and it is presumed to have sunk in the ocean waters. The pilot was not located, and an autopsy and toxicology test could not be performed. Weather satellite imagery indicated that as the helicopter approached the vicinity of the accident site, it was likely operating in visual meteorological conditions beneath scattered-to-broken cloud cover. A weather station near the accident site reported wind gusting to 27 knots, which could have led to low-level wind shear conditions. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the accident with the available information
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
- Unknown or undetermined during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,355 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 190.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 2020
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C300/A1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 11:06 pm
- Destination: ADQ Kodiak AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.16 inHg
- Observation at 3:23 pm from PASO, 32 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PASO 030023Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM OVC010 M03/M05 A2916 RMK AO2 T10331050 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on August 24, 2022. 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 | Weather Factual Report | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Attachment 1 | zip file | Download |
| 3 | Weather Attachment 2 | zip file | Download |
| 4 | Weather Attachment 3 | zip file | Download |
| 5 | Chris Timpano Roc | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Transcript of Interview - C Timpano | PDF, 34 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Summary of Interview - A Belisle | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Summary of Pilot's Recent Activities | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Accident Pictures | PDF, 4 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.
