NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ANC97LA004
Registry · N239AH
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS 350B3
Year of manufacture
2023
TCDS
H9EU · AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
Engine
SAFRAN ARRIEL 2D (952 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20250527
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A229F7
Registrant of record
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
the pilot's failure to follow the checklist and secure the cockpit door/canopy.
Factual narrative
On October 18, 1996, at 1152 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped experimental airplane, model Burns Burn, N239AH, registered to and operated by the pilot, crashed during takeoff at Sitka, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing runway 29 at Sitka for a local flight. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The airplane received substantial damage. According to rescue personnel, the pilot stated that he was in a hurry and trying to complete his takeoff prior to the arrival of an inbound jet. He stated that he did not lock the cockpit canopy. During the takeoff, approximately 10 feet in the air, the canopy came open and the airplane fell to the runway. The pilot stated that he was in a hurry, and was trying to complete his takeoff before the arrival of an inbound jet. He stated that he did not lock the cockpit canopy. During takeoff, approximately 10 feet in the air, the canopy came open, and the airplane fell to the runway and was damaged. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1996_ANC97LA004.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2026 · arXiv preprint
Distributed Adaptive Control for DC Power Distribution in Hybrid-Electric Aircraft: Design and Experimental Validation
To reduce CO2 emissions and tackle increasing fuel costs, the aviation industry is swiftly moving towards the electrification of aircraft.
- arXiv 2025 · arXiv preprint
Task Allocation of UAVs for Monitoring Missions via Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation and Experimental Validation
This study addresses the optimisation of task allocation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) within industrial monitoring missions.
- arXiv 2025 · arXiv preprint
Experimental validation of UAV search and detection system in real wilderness environment
Search and rescue (SAR) missions require reliable search methods to locate survivors, especially in challenging or inaccessible environments.
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Ergonomics)
An experimental comparison on the effectiveness of various levels of simulator fidelity on ab initio pilot training
Abstract Despite recent advances in technology use for education and training, the approach to pilot training over the past several decades has largely remained unchanged.
- arXiv 2024 · arXiv preprint
Advancing Experimental Platforms for UAV Communications: Insights from AERPAW'S Digital Twin
The rapid evolution of 5G and beyond has advanced space-air-terrestrial networks, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offering enhanced coverage, flexible configurations, and cost efficiency.
- arXiv 2023 · arXiv preprint
Experimental Evaluation of Bird Strikes in Urban Air Mobility
Advanced mobility concepts such as Urban Air Mobility are emerging in full swing. In that concept, a safe and efficient aviation transportation system will use highly automated aircraft that will tran…
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗