Eurocopter AS 350 B2 accident near Juneau, Alaska, August 22, 2025
On August 22, 2025 at about 8:42 pm local time, a 2005 Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (helicopter), registered N149TH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Juneau, Alaska (Glacier airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate obstacle clearance during takeoff from uneven, snow-covered terrain in flat light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2025 · about 8:42 pm local time
- Place
- Juneau, Alaska · Glacier · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2, built 2005 · all AS 350 B2s on the register
- Registration
- N149TH · registry record · serial 9071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while departing from a remote, snow-covered, glacier camp, which required a hovering backwards departure from a helipad site, the helicopter’s vertical stabilizer struck a snow berm, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and tail boom assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot noted that flat light conditions made it difficult to discern the height of the helicopter over the uneven, snow-covered terrain immediately surrounding the helipad site.
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
- Tailstrike during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy terrain › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Flat light › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,987 hours in all; 373 in this make and model; 197 in the last 90 days; 68 in the last 30 days; 1,950 as pilot in command; 1,117 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 21, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,666.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2025; 64.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,960 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomecca Aeriel 1D1 (turboshaft); 7,492 hours total
- Operator: Temsco Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: JNU Juneau AK at 8:27 pm
- Destination: JNU Juneau AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from AJN, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAJN 222053Z 00000KT 10SM > BKN075 OVC110 16/11 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP226 T01560106 58004
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC25LA092.