ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 367438
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| Date: | Wednesday 7 February 1990 |
| Time: | 16:13 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 205A-1 |
| Owner/operator: | Northern Mountain Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-GNMJ |
| MSN: | 30264 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 7160 hours |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING T5313B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Stikine River, near the Shakes Glacier, 25 miles E of Wrangell, Alaska -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Johnny Mountain, BC, Canada |
| Wrangell, Alaska (WRG/PAWG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was totally destroyed when it apparently flew into the ice covered Stikine River near the Shakes Glacier some 25 miles east of Wrangell, Alaska, whilst en route from Wrangell to the Johnny Mountain gold mine which is 55 miles east of the town.
Another helicopter was en route from Wrangell to the mine site at the same time. The pilot of the other helicopter made two attempts to penetrate the 'back side' of a snow squall and failed. After reversing course to return to Wrangell, that pilot sighted the wreckage of C-GNMJ.
Passengers who had flown to Wrangell aboard C-GNMJ on a previous trip said they had encountered snow squalls and whiteout conditions. At one point, one of the passengers believed the helicopter was in a hover. He said it then came out of the squall in a steep bank. A former employee reported that 'company officials pressured the pilots to complete their flights in spite of marginal weather conditions'.
The NTSB determined the probable cause to be: The pilot's continued VFR flight into IMC and his failure to maintain control of the helicopter due to spatial disorientation. Factors related to the accident were: company induced pressure to make the flight, the pilot's decision to initiate flight into known adverse weather conditions, his lack of instrument experience, his over confidence in his personal abilities, and the adverse weather condition
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN90FA053
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Mar-2024 14:27 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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