# Accident 19890326004639A: Aerosp AS355F1, Bear Valley, CA, March 26, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 26, 1989, 12:33 local time
- Place: Bear Valley, CA
- Airport: Bear Valley Stol
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: CFEA
- Location: 37.9593° N, 120.8706° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9593&lon=-120.8706&mi=10
- Aircraft: N84MH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N84MH-2005-11-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS 355 F ECUREUIL (registry code 8680806, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355-f-ecureuil) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355F1
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20F
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,700 total, 120 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX89FA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89FA136) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890326004639A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY DESCENDING AT SLOW SPEED FOR LANDING. TRIED GO AROUND. SNOW CAUSED WHITEOUT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX89FA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX89FA136), Mar 26, 1989: Aerospatiale AS-355-F (N84MH), Bear Valley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING A SLOW SPEED, DOWNWIND APPROACH TO A HIGH ALTITUDE STOLPORT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: HIGH…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.