# Accident 19971028039349A: Aerosp SA316B, Counselor, NM, October 28, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 28, 1997, 10:00 local time
- Place: Counselor, NM
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Settle With Power (Rotorcraft)
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: TUWF
- Location: 36.2092° N, 107.4578° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Counselor, NM, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2092&lon=-107.4578&mi=10
- Aircraft: CFPWH (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP SA316B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971028039349A

## Narrative

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

SLING LOAD SLOWED TO HOVER. ENCOUNTERED DOWNWASH. SETTLED WITH POWER. (.19)ON OCTOBER 28, 1997, APPROXIMATLEY 100 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE SA316B, CANADIAN REGISTRY CFPWH, OPERATED BY TURBOWEST HELICOPTERS, LTD., OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE APPROACHING A HOVER 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF COUNSELOR, NEW MEXICO.  THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE NONSCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO AIR TAXI FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 133.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA ABOUT A MILE AWAY JUST MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  ACCORDING TO TURBOWEST HELICOPTERS, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS SLINGING SEISMIC EQUIPMENT TO A DRILLING SITE AND ENTERED A TIGHT CANYON.  APPROACHING A HOVER AT THE DRILLING SITE AT AN ALTITUDE BETWEEN 120 AND 180 FEET, THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED ITS OWN DOWNWASH AND SETTLED WITH POWER.  THE PILOT SAID THE WIND WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.                                                              (-23) ON OCTOBER 28, 1997, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN     AEROSPATIALE SA315B, CANADIAN REGISTRY CFPWH, OPERATED BY TURBO-WEST HELICOPTERS, LTD., AT CALGARY, ALBERTO, CANADA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN 10 MILES NORTHWEST AT COUNSELOR, NM. THE CANADIAN CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION BEING CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 133. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE AWAY JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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