# Accident 20030109002509A: Snias AS350BA, Venice, LA, January 9, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 9, 2003, 15:00 local time
- Place: Venice, LA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: TXEA
- Location: 29.2500° N, 89.1750° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.2500&lon=-89.1750&mi=10
- Aircraft: N22TV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N22TV-2007-06-26) (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
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,931 total, 579 in this make and model, 52 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW03LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA081) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030109002509A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON JANUARY 9, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 1500 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350-BA SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N22TV, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE WATER FOLLOWING A LOSS CONTROL DURING A DESCENT NEAR VENICE, LOUISIANA. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND ONE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY TEX-AIR HELICOPTERS INC., HOUSTON, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE MAIN PASS 61A OFFSHORE PLATFORM AT 1440, AND WAS DESTINED FOR VENICE. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING AN INITIAL DESCENT TO VENICE AT 800 FEET AGL., HE FELT A "SUDDEN HARD SHEDDER AND NOISE FROM THE AIRCRAFT." ONE OF THE PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED THE RIGHT BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OPEN AND FLAPPING. THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A SEVERE YAW TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT THEN REALIZED HE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM HIS INPUTS TO THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GAIN ALTITUDE BY INCREASING POWER, THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT INITITATED AN AUTOROTATION, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND WERE RESCUED BY A FISHING VESSEL. (-23) ON JANUARY 9, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 1500 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-350-BA SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N22TV, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE WATER FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL DURING A DESCENT NEAR VENICE, LOUISIANA. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND ONE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY TEX-AIR HELICOPTERS INC., HOUSTON, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE MAIN PASS 61A OFFSHORE PLATFORM AT 1440, AND WAS DESTINED FOR VENICE. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING AN INITIAL DESCENT TO VENICE AT 800 FEET AGL., HE FELT A "SUDDEN HARD SHEDDER AND NOISE FROM THE AIRCRAFT." ONE OF THE PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT HE OBSERVED THE RIGHT BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OPEN                AND FLAPPING. THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A SEVERE YAW TO THE LEFT, AND THE PILOT THEN REALIZED HE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM HIS INPUTS TO THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GAIN ALTITUDE BY INCREASING POWER, THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SPIN TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE WATER AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND WERE RESCUED BY A FISHING VESSEL.

## 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 FTW03LA081](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA081), Jan 9, 2003: Aerospatiale AS-350-BA (N22TV), Venice, LA, destroyed. Probable cause: The loss of tail rotor drive as a result of baggage coming in contact with the tail rotor blades after the aft cargo door was not secured. A contributing factor was the passenger's failure to follow…

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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