# Accident 19961123036599A: Aerosp AS355F1, Taos, NM, November 23, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 23, 1996, 14:15 local time
- Place: Taos, NM
- Airport: Taos Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.3794° N, 105.5710° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3794&lon=-105.5710&mi=10
- Aircraft: N606SP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355F1
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,163 total, 741 in this make and model, 72 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97TA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA046) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961123036599A

## Narrative

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

SEARCH AND RESCUE FLIGHT.HOVERING. LEFT SKID ON ROCK LOADING VICTIM. WIND GUST CAUSED TAILROTOR STRIKE ROCKS. (-23) DURING SEARCH & RESCUE MISSION BY STATE POLICE, WHILE RESCUE PERSONNEL WERE LOADING A CORPSE ON THE HELICOPTER, IT WAS HOVERING AT THE BOTTOM OF A 750' CANYON. WHEN THE WIND SHIFTED, THE TAIL ROTOR HIT A ROCK. ON IMMEDIATE SHUT DOWN, THE CRAFT SETTLED.

## 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 FTW97TA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA046), Nov 23, 1996: Aerospatiale AS-355-F1 (N606SP), Taos, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was terrain induced turbulence.

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.

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