Sud Aviation SA 318C accident near Near Savoonga, Alaska, April 15, 1982
On April 15, 1982 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Sud Aviation SA 318C (helicopter), registered N9367, was substantially damaged in an accident near Near Savoonga, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 15, 1982 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Near Savoonga, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Sud Aviation SA 318C · all SA 318Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9367 · no longer on the register · serial 2168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0746 LCL TIME, THE PLT ACTIVATED HIS VFR FLT PLAN FOR A ROUND ROBIN FLT FROM NOME, AK TO SAVOONGA, NE CAPE, SAVOONGA, SE CAPE, SAVOONGA & BACK TO NOME. AFTER ARRIVING AT SAVOONGA, THE HELICOPTER WAS REFUELED. ACCORDING TO SVRL VILLAGERS, THE WX AT THAT TIME WAS POOR, VIS 1 TO 2 MI WITH BLOWING SNOW, WIND FROM THE NORTH AT 25, GSTG 30 KTS. BFR DEPARTING, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION CONCERNING THE SUITABILITY OF THE WX, BUT THE PLT WAS CONVINCED HE COULD COMPLETE THE MISSION. AFTER DEPARTING, THE PLT WAS FLWG THE SHORELINE WHEN THE VIS BGN DECREASING. THE SURVIVING PAX RPRTD THAT THE PLT REVERSED COURSE, BUT THE VIS CONTD TO DECREASE TIL HE (THE PAX) COULD NOT SEE THE GND. HE RPRTD THAT THE PLT BGN MANIPULATING THE CONTROLS IN AN UNUSUAL MANNER & THE HELICOPTER BGN MVG LEFT & RIGHT, UP & DOWN AND ALL AROUND, THEN CRASHED. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED WHILE MVG REARWARD & TO THE RIGHT. ESTIMATE 285 LBS OVR THEMAX GROSS WT LMT. SRCH NOT INITIATED TIL 12 HR FLT PLAN EXPIRED, FOUND NXT MORNING, ELT SIGNAL. HYPOTHERMIA, FROST BITE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,618 hours in all; 295 in this make and model; 98 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,454 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,650 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ASTAZOU IIA (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Savoonga AK at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Nome AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 25 knots
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 ANC82FA035.