Aerospatiale AS-350 accident near Juneau, Alaska, July 20, 1994
On July 20, 1994, a Aerospatiale AS-350 (helicopter), registered N39GT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Juneau, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE LANDING TERRAIN. A FACTOR WAS THE CREVASSE IN THE ICE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1994
- Place
- Juneau, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350 · all AS-350s on the register
- Registration
- N39GT · registry record · serial 1149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED HE LANDED ON THE GLACIER WHERE HE NORMALLY LANDED, 'IN THE SAME TRACKS.' WHILE HE WAS LEANING OUT THE DOOR TO CHECK THE POSITION OF THE SKIDS THE HELICOPTER NOSED DOWN AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE SURFACE OF THE ICE WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO PIVOT 180 DEGREES ABOUT THE NOSE. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING AREA SHOWED A DEEP CREVASSE, IN THE AREA OF THE RIGHT SKID'S LANDING POSITION, THAT WAS FILLED WITH CLEAR WATER. THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID HAD NO ICE TO REST ON AND FELL INTO THE CREVASSE.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,130 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 96 in the last 30 days; 2,080 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,618 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 13, 1994; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1 B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Temsco Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: JNU AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Herbert Glacier AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:18 pm from JNU, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.