A pilot and one passenger died in a helicopter crash on the North Slope Wednesday, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. There were no survivors.
Alaska NTSB Chief Clint Johnson said the helicopter – a Robinson R66 – left Deadhorse at around 10:40 a.m., and the agency was notified it was missing before noon.
Johnson said the North Slope Borough Search and Rescue launched one of their helicopters, which found the crash site roughly 30 miles west of Deadhorse. Search and Rescue personnel recovered the remains of the pilot and passenger, who have not been identified.
Sam Maxwell, general manager and owner of Wasilla-based Pollux Aviation, which operated the helicopter, said it was assisting with a shorebird survey based out of Prudhoe Bay.
“We are helping the NTSB and the FAA determine the cause of the accident, and our hearts and our prayers go out to the families,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell did not say who the client was.
The borough mayor’s office said in a press release that next of kin have been notified.
“Our prayers are with the families and loved ones affected by this tragic loss,” said Angela Cox, the borough’s spokeswoman. “We are grateful to our North Slope Borough Search and Rescue team for their swift and dedicated response.”
Johnson said the NTSB planned to get to the crash site on Friday, when the weather clears.
“We're trying to get this recovery, wreckage recovery, done before the weekend, before the snow and the weather comes into the area,” he said. “So it's a little bit of a race against time.”
Johnson said that before the takeoff, the helicopter received what is known as special visual flight rules, or special VFR, clearance. However, he said the agency did not know what the weather conditions were at the crash site.
Johnson said the NTSB has assigned a meteorologist and planned to look at other aircraft operating in the area, to get better data.
“This is a very remote area, sensing units and weather recording data is very sparse in that area,” he said.
In July 2023, a Maritime helicopter crashed on the North Slope, killing three state scientists and the pilot.
This is a developing story.
