Amateur-built 234ER incident near Mekoryuk, Alaska, June 1, 1983
On June 1, 1983 at about 8:58 pm local time, a amateur-built 234ER (helicopter), registered N234BV, was involved in an incident near Mekoryuk, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F). No one was hurt; 19 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1983 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- Mekoryuk, Alaska · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 19 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 234ER
- Registration
- N234BV · no longer on the register · serial MJ016
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91, subpart F)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CLIMBING IN IFR CONDITIONS AFTER TAKEOFF, THE #1 ENG LOST POWER. THE PLT DUMPED FUEL & LANDED ON AN OIL EXPLORATION PLATFORM. WHILE DUMPING FUEL, THE #1 JETTISON SYS OPERATED NORMALLY, BUT THE CIRUIT BREAKER POPPED ON THE #2 SYS. THE AIRCREW RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER & WERE ABLE TO OPEN THE VALVE, BUT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AGAIN. THEY WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE #2 JETTISON VALVE BY HOLDING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LOWER ACCESSORY LEVEL GEAR, PN 2-070-024-01, IN THE #1 ENG, HAD FAILED.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,990 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 99 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 29, 1983; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 48,500 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AL5512 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atlantic Richfield CO.
The flight
- Departed from: 708 Bering Sea AK at 12:56 pm
- Destination: OME Nome AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 16 |
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.