# Accident 20021217034119A: Urocop EC135P1, Loonlake, WA, December 17, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 17, 2002, 22:45 local time
- Place: Loonlake, WA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: HDNA
- Location: 48.0636° N, 117.6217° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.0636&lon=-117.6217&mi=10
- Aircraft: N311MS (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: UROCOP EC135P1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA03LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA019) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021217034119A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT TONY PAAY WAS RETURNING THE EMS FLIGHT FROM COLVILLE, WA TO SPOKANE, WA WHEN HE RAN INTO A BANK OF FOG/SNOW/IMC BETWEEN CHEWELAH, WA AND LOON LAKE, WA. HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS AN INADVERTENT IMC CONDITION IN THE SNOW STORM BECAUSE HE HAD SOME VISUAL REFERENCE WITH CARS MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY BELOW. HE FOLLOWED TYPICAL PROCEDURE WHEN HE LOWERED POWER, SLOWED DOWN, AND DESCENDED SLIGHTLY IN AN EFFORT TO RE-ESTABLISH VFR BY FLYING UNDER THE STORM IN THIS AREA KNOWN FOR POOR VISIBILITY. HE BECAME FIXATED ON THE CARS MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY BELOW AND LOST REFERENCE TO THE STEEPNESS OF HIS DESCENT. A EMS TECH CALLED OUT "TREES", THEN THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND PULLED PITCH IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE HELICOPTER. THE ATTEMPT WAS TOO LATE AS THE HELICOPTER CRASHED ON HIGHWAY 395 CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND FUSELAGE. THERE WERE NO ROTOR STRIKES. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT, THE EMS CREW OF TWO, OR THE PATIENT.

## 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 SEA03LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA019), Dec 18, 2002: Eurocopter Deutschland EC-135 P1 (N311MS), Loon Lake, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) while in cruise flight, and an excessive descent rate. Factors include falling snow, whiteout conditions and dark night…

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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