Eurocopter AS350B2, Chickaloon, Alaska, April 15, 2008–The NTSB blamed the fatal crash on loss of engine power due to an overspeed of the helicopter’s engine, precipitated by the inadvertent movement of the fuel-flow control lever by the passenger. The AS350, operated by ERA Helicopters under Part 135, was transporting telecommunications technicians to remote sites. After dropping off one technician, the helicopter flew to another location and picked up a technician and his stepson near a highway rest area.
A witness watched the helicopter take off and make a steep descent into a nearby ravine but did not see any impact. When the helicopter did not return to pick up the first technician, a search was launched but it was hampered by a snowstorm. The next morning, approximately 24 hours after the accident, the wreckage of the helicopter was found less than a mile from the rest area. The teenage boy, who had been in the left front seat, was suffering from head injuries and hypothermia. The pilot and the three technicians in the back seat were found dead.
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