Bell 205A-1 accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, June 7, 1983
On June 7, 1983 at about 3:18 am local time, a Bell 205A-1 (helicopter), registered N17AL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska (Deadhorse airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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
- June 7, 1983 · about 3:18 am local time
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska · Deadhorse · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 205A-1 · all 205A-1s on the register
- Registration
- N17AL · registry record · serial 30165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH A POLE AND LANDED HARD DURING AIR TAXI TO POSITION THE ACFT. THE PILOT HAD JUST OFF LOADED PASSENGERS AND WAS ALONE IN THE HELICOPTER. A WITNESS SAID THE PILOT HOVERED TOO CLOSE TO THE POLE AND BOTH ROTOR BLADESMADE CONTACT. THE POLE THAT WAS STRUCK WAS SEVERED ABOUT 12 FT AGL.
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: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 550 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,282 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 6, 1982; 8,197 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-L-13 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNI Barrow AK at 6:15 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 23 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC83LA091.