# Accident 20011019029379A: Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, Roswell, NM, October 19, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 19, 2001, 14:58 local time
- Place: Roswell, NM
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.4203° N, 104.6589° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.4203&lon=-104.6589&mi=10
- Aircraft: N111DT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N111DT-2002-03-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL (registry code 8680813, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350-b2-ecureuil) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02FA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02FA017) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011019029379A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001, AT 1458 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B2 HELICOPTER, N111DT, WAS DESTROYED DURING IMPACT WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORT, INC., OF PAYSON, ARIZONA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULE (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 ORIENTATION FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE OFFICE PARKING LOT IN ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO, AT 1451. THE PILOT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING LANDING ZONE TRAINING WITH THE NEW MEXICO STATE POLICE. SUBSEQUENT TO THE TRAINING BEING COMPLETED, THE PILOT TOOK THREE MEMBERS OF THE STATE POLICE ON AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEMONSTRATING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIR MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO APPROACH AND LAND AT THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT AFTER A MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF TO THE SOUTHWEST FROM THE PARKING LOT AT THE STATE POLICE OFFICE, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE WEST AND CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 5,500 FEET MSL. AFTER SELECTING A LANDING ZONE, HE TURNED NORTHWEST TOWARD THE AREA AND INITIATED A DESCENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS INTENTION WAS TO BRING THE HELICOPTER TO A HIGH HOVER, ALLOW THE DUST TO SETTLE, AND THEN LAND. AS THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED TO ABOUT 150-200 FEET AGL, HE INITIATED A RIGHT TURN INTO THE WIND. AS THE HELICOPTER WAS TURNING, HE REALIZED THE HELICOPTER'S TURN WAS TOO STEEP AND TRIED TO SHALLOW THE TURN; HOWEVER, THE CYCLIC WOULD NOT MOVE. AT ONE POINT HE TRIED TO NEUTRALIZED THE CYCLIC WITH BOTH HANDS BUT TO NO AVAIL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST 375 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR. (-23) ON OCTOBER 19, 2001 AT APPROXIMATELY 1445 MST, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350-B2, N111DT, REGISTERED TO MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED AND TWO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE STATE POLICE H                              EADQUARTERS IN ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 MST.

## 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 FTW02FA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02FA017), Oct 19, 2001: Aerospatiale AS350B2 (N111DT), Roswell, NM, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The seizing of the cyclic control for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the lack of altitude for the pilot to regain control of the helicopter.

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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