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Incident Information:
Attachment Size Clear Fire Helicopter Accident NTSB Preliminary Investigation Report.pdf (762.2 KB) 762.2 KB Clear Fire Helicopter Crash Fatality NTSB Final Investigation Report.pdf (3 MB) 3 MB -
Location:
Alaska -
Date:
06/26/2022 -
Incident Type:
Helicopter Incident -
Description:
On Sunday, June 26, 2022, Pilot Douglas "Doug" Ritchie, the sole occupant of a Bell UH-1B helicopter, was supporting firefighting efforts at the Clear Fire, Alaska. While hovering with a longline, Ritchie maneuvered the helicopter to position the remote hook for external load hook up. A loud mechanical noise was heard and the helicopter rolled right and fell to the ground in a nose-low attitude from a height of about 150 feet. Ritchie was killed in the accident. Investigation into the incident continues.
Helicopter Incident or Accident, Aviation, Helicopters, Fatality
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