# Accident 20001115023039A: Snias AS350B3, Mesa, AZ, November 15, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 15, 2000, 10:30 local time - Place: Mesa, AZ - Airport: Falcon Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: HEEA - Location: 33.4608° N, 111.7283° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at FALCON FLD (FFZ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4608&lon=-111.7283&mi=10 - Aircraft: N972AE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B3 - Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL2B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 12,547 total, 1,540 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA042) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001115023039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23)AFTER DEMONSTRATING AN AUTOROTATION, THE IP ALLOWED THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION TO PRACTICE ONE. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD TO CORRECT ROTOR RPM (NG) SEVERAL TIMES THRU OUT THE AUTOROTATION SEQUENCE. THE SINK RATE JUST PRIOR TO TOUCH DOWN APPEARED TO BE EXCESSIVE. THE HELICOPTER'S AFT PORTION OF THE LANDING SKIDS CONTACTED THE GROUND FIRST, SOMEWHAT HARDER THAN NORMAL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROCK/PITCH FORWARD AND LIFTING THE REAR OF THE SKIDSOFF THE GROUND AND FINALLY COMING TO REST LEVEL. UPON INITIAL VISUAL INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TAIL BOOM WAS DISPLACED DOWNWARD AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT, THE DAMAGE/WRINKELING NOTICEABLE WHERE THE TAIL BEAM IS JOINED TO THE AFT FUSELAGE SECTION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE TWO (2) PILOTS OR ANY EVIDENCE OF A POST-HARD LANDING FIRE. (.4) ON NOVEMBER 15, 2000, AT 1030 HOURS MST, A EUROCOPTER AS-350-B3, N972AE, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT FALCON FIELD, MESA, AZ. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT UNDER INSTRUCTION WERE NOT INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED FROM FALCON FIELD ABOUT 1000. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD DEMONSTRATED AN AUTOROTATION LANDING AND THEN TURNED CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER OVER TO THE STUDENT TO PERFORM THE NEXT AUTOROTATION LANDING. THE STUDENT'S ENTRY WAS ABRUPT RESULTING IN FIRST, HIGH ROTOR RPM, HOWEVER, THE RPM WAS PROPER PRIOR TO INITIATING THE LANDING FLARE. THE STUDENT'S INITAL PITCH APPLICATION DURING THE FLARE WAS A LITTLE TOO HIGH BUT OKAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE LANDING, ADDITIONAL COLLECTIVE WAS APPLIED, BUT IT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO CHECK THE SINK RATE AND THEN BACK DOWN ON THE FULL SKID. THE PILOT HEARD A METALLIC SOUND AND ON EXTERNAL INSPECTION, FOUND THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT DOWN. THE PILOT NOTED THAT A BALLAST INSTALLATION IN THE TAIL BOOM MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER WAS CONFIGURED FOR EMS (EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE) USE WITH A STRETCHER INSTALLATION. PART OF THE EMS MODIFICATION MOVED THE 48-POUND BATTERY INTO THE TAIL CONE FORWARD OF THE STABILIZER AND INSTALLED A BALLAST STATION RATED FOR UP TO 19.22 POUNDS OF LEAD BALLAST IN THE TIP OF THE TAIL CONE. BOTH THE BATTERY RELOCATION AND THE BALLAST INSTALLATION WERE INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN AMERICAN EUROCOPTER SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC). THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER WAS CARRYING 18.3 POUNDS OF LEAD BALLAST IN ADDITION TO THE RELOCATED 48-POUND BATTERY. ## 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 LAX01LA042](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA042), Nov 15, 2000: Eurocopter AS 350B-3 (N972AE), Mesa, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The dual student's misjudged landing flare and level off, which resulted in a heel first touchdown and subsequent hard landing during a practice autorotation. Also causal was the instructor pilot's… 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.