# Incident 19990201014489I: Snias AS350B, Grand Canyon, AZ, February 1, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 1, 1999, 10:00 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Airport: Grand Canyon National Park
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: S9HA
- Location: 35.6391° N, 113.6097° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6391&lon=-113.6097&mi=10
- Aircraft: N32GA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 22,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99IA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99IA085) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990201014489I

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 1, 1999, AT 1010 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B, N32GA, OPERATED BY SILVERADO HELICOPTERS, INC., D.B.A. HELI USA, EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN LOSS OF THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE PASSENGER WINDOW DURING DESCENT OVER THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZONA. THE WINDOW IMPACTED AND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED A TAIL ROTOR BLADE (PADDLE). VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE ON-DEMAND SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT THAT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR 135. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP, AND NEITHER HE NOR THE SIX PASSENGERS WERE INJURED. THE AERIAL TOUR FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AT 0928. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION HE HAD LOOKED AT THE WINDOW AND IT WAS NOT DAMAGED. DURING THE FLIGHT THE PASSENGER SEATED NEXT TO THE WINDOW WAS NOT OBSERVED TAKING PICTURES OR "ELBOWING" THE WINDOW. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE MISHAP THE COMPANY HAD REPLACED WINDOW. THE REPLACEMENT WINDOW WAS NOT MANUFACTURED BY AEROSPATIALE. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT REPORTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AND A REPLACEMENT TAIL ROTOR BLADE INSTALLED.            THE WINDOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED RETENTION GASKET (SEAL) REMAIN MISSING. (-23)ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE AIRCRAFT N32GA WAS DESCENDING FROM AN ENROUTE CRUISE PHASE TO APPROACH ONTO THE RAMADA HELIPRT PAD WITHIN THE GRAND CANYON.  DURING THE DESCENT, THE LEFT PASSENGER WINDOW DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE.  UPON EXAMINATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR, IT WAS FOUND BY AEROSPATIALE FACTORY TRAINED PERSONNEL THAT THE TAIL ROTOR WAS UNREPAIRABLE AND A TOTAL LOSS.

## 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 LAX99IA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99IA085), Feb 1, 1999: Aerospatiale AS350B (N32GA), Grand Canyon Pk, AZ, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The in-flight separation of a side window for undetermined reasons.

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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