# Accident 20021202031869A: Snias AS350BA, Monticello, UT, December 2, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 2, 2002, 10:30 local time
- Place: Monticello, UT
- Airport: San Juan County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: FZOL
- Location: 37.9372° N, 109.3278° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9372&lon=-109.3278&mi=10
- Aircraft: N20840, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20840-2005-06-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS350BA (registry code 8680817, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350ba) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350BA
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN03LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA020) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021202031869A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT WAS EXECUTING A SHALLOW APPROACH TO AN OPEN FIELD TO DROP OFF A 50 FOOT LONG CLASS B EXTERNAL LOAD. ON SHORT FINAL PILOT NOTICED ROTOR RPM INCREASE SLIGHTLY SO HE APPLIED SLIGHT COLLECTIVE PITCH TO CONTROL RPM. RPM DECREASED BUT CONTINUED TO DECREASE SO PILOT DECREASED COLLECTIVE TO MAINTAIN RPM. EXTERNAL LOAD (BAGS) CONTACTED GROUND AT LANDING SITE BUT RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND AIRCRAFT SETTLED CONTACTING LEFT SKID ON LOAD. AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE LOAD TO THE RIGHT, CONTACTING RIGHT SKID WITH GROUND AND AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE LEFT. MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH GROUND CAUSING TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE TO SHIFT FROM INSTALLED POSITION, TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT DEPARTED AIRCRAFT CAUSING TOTAL LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR THRUST. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND ON RIGHT SIDE FACING 180 DEGREES FROM ORIGINAL APPROACH HEADING WITH TAIL BOOM BROKEN FROM FUSELAGE. MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE ATTACHMENT POINTS. NO POST CRASH FIRE, FUEL SPILLED FROM AIRCRAFT. ENGINE SHUT ITSELF DOWN ON IMPACT.                                                                                                                                                             (.19) ON DECEMBER 2, 2002, AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350BA HELICOPTER, N20840, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING AN AUTOROTATION AND SUBSEQUENT LANDING ROLLOVER NEAR MONTICELLO, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. CREW CONCEPTS INC., OF KALISPELL, MONTANA, WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 133. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL GEOPHYSICAL FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS SLOWING HIS AIRSPEED AND DESCENDING TO A LANDING ZONE. HE SAID THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED BEGAN TO CLIMB; HE PULLED "A LITTLE" COLLECTIVE TO REDUCE IT. THE PILOT SAID THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED DECREASED UNTIL HE GOT A LOW ROTOR HORN. HE RELEASED THE 100 FOOT LONG LINE AND LOAD, AND ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND ROLLED ONTO ITS SIDE.

## 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 DEN03LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA020), Dec 2, 2002: Aerospatiale AS-350BA (N20840), Monticello, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm. A related factor was the presence of an object in the path during the touchdown.

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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