20011206034189I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Aerosp AS 355F1 · Lompoc, CA · December 6, 2001

Date: December 6, 2001 · 08:15 local
Place: Lompoc, CA
Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: NAAA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N349AA
Reported as: Aerosp AS355F1
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,969 total1,865 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

N349AARegistration cancelled Mar 24, 2014 · Aerospatiale AS 355F1S/N 5189 Airframe modelAerospatiale AS 355F1 Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On 12/06/01 at approximately 0830 the commercial pilot landed the AS-355 helicopter on a cement "pad" at point conception, CA. This "pad", which had been used by this pilot in this helicopter several times a year for the past 14 years, is located on a U.S. Coast guard lighthouse facility. After this landing the helicopter was shut down. As the baggage was being unloaded, a passenger's foot broke through the cement and a void was discovered below the cement. Before the pilot could start the helicopter to move it, the cement under the helicopter failed, causing the helicopter to roll left with the nose and tail cone resting on the uppper edges of a 10' x 20' underground tank. There were no injuries to any personnel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 12/06/01 AT APPROXIMATELY 0830 THE COMMERCIAL PILOT LANDED THE AS-355 HELICOPTER ON A CEMENT "PAD" AT POINT CONCEPTION, CA. THIS "PAD", WHICH HAD BEEN USED BY THIS PILOT IN THIS HELICOPTER SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS, IS LOCATED ON A U.S. COAST GUARD LIGHTHOUSE FACILITY. AFTER THIS LANDING THE HELICOPTER WAS SHUT DOWN. AS THE BAGGAGE WAS BEING UNLOADED, A PASSENGER'S FOOT BROKE THROUGH THE CEMENT AND A VOID WAS DISCOVERED BELOW THE CEMENT. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD START THE HELICOPTER TO MOVE IT, THE CEMENT UNDER THE HELICOPTER FAILED, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROLL LEFT WITH THE NOSE AND TAIL CONE RESTING ON THE UPPPER EDGES OF A 10' X 20' UNDERGROUND TANK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PERSONNEL.