# Accident 19970408005359A: Snias AS350B, West Palm Beach, FL, April 8, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 1997, 08:44 local time
- Place: West Palm Beach, FL
- Airport: Palm Beach International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.6603° N, 80.0902° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6603&lon=-80.0902&mi=10
- Aircraft: N370WM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N370WM-1997-11-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS350B (registry code 8680800, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97GA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97GA119) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970408005359A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER AFTER LIFTOFF. HAD COMPRESSOR STALL. HIT GROUND. CARTWHEELED. MASKING FLIM BLOCKED AIR INTAKE. (-23) ON APRIL 8, 1997 @ 0844 AN AEROSPATIALE AS 350B, N370WM, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, CRASHED ON TAKEOFF FROM PBI WITH A PILOT AND 4 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND EVERYBODY ABOARD SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURY.  THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED FORM THE JET AVIATION RAMP WHERE WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING SOME TYPE OF PLASTIC DEPART THE HELICOPTER, AND THE WITNESS RECOVERED THE PLASTIC WHICH WAS A CLEAR TYPE USED TO MASK OFF AREAS FOR PAINT TOUCH UP. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING JET AVIATION THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AT THE EAST END OF THE RUNWAY.  ONE PASSENGER WAS EJECTED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND THE REMAINING WERE RESCUED BY BYSTANDERS.

## 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 MIA97GA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97GA119), Apr 8, 1997: Aerospatiale AS 350B (N370WM), West Palm Beach, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the pilot-in-command to recognize that the main rotor rpm was decreasing and his failure to maintain the main rotor rpm during the autorotative landing resulting in a hard landing.…

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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