What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 20, 2003, at 1238 mountain standard time, an aerospatiale AS350BA, N270SH, collided with a canyon wall during a descent into descent canyon, about 1.5 miles east of grand canyon west airport, Arizona. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the impact sequence, and it was destroyed during a post impact fire. The airline transport certificated pilot and six passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated by sundance helicopters, inc., which is based in las vegas, Nevada. The accident occurred during a sightseeing tour flight conducted under 14 CFR part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rules flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from the grand canyon west airport about 1237. The operator indicated that the anticipated flight time between the airport helipad, elevation about 4,750 feet mean sea level (MSL), and the landing site adjacent to the Colorado river, elevation 1,300 feet MSL, lasts between 3 and 4 minutes. The portion of the flight through the canyon lasts about 1 minute. There were no communications from the accident pilot during his takeoff from the uncontrolled airport, or priorto the initiation of his descent into the canyon. The operator stated that this action was unusual, and that normally the pilot broadcasts his intentions during the flight. A tour helicopter pilot from another operator, who was airborne and descending in the canyon, commented that he also did not hear any radio transmissions from the pilot of the accident helicopter, whom he knew. A ground-based witness reported that the accident pilot's entrance into the canyon was unusual because the pilot had delayed initiation of the descent for between 20 and 45 seconds while hovering above the canyon's entrance. The on scene examination of the accident site and fragmented helicopter wreckage revealed evidence of a possible ground scar in the near vertical face of the canyon wall. Beneath the wall was a fragment from the tip of a main rotor blade. The main wreckage was located over 250 to 300 yards farther down the canyon. The elevation of the main wreckage ground scar signature was estimated at 20 feet lower than the signature for the initial point of impact. It was partially consumed by a ground fire. Relative to the overall length of the canyon, the accident occurred about 2/3 of the way down the canyon, at an approximate elevation of 2,150 feet MSL. At this location, the canyon is between 500 and 1,000 feet wide. All of the recoverable airframe and engine wreckage has been transported to an examination facility in Arizona.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2003, AT 1238 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350BA, N270SH, COLLIDED WITH A CANYON WALL DURING A DESCENT INTO DESCENT CANYON, ABOUT 1.5 MILES EAST OF GRAND CANYON WEST AIRPORT, ARIZONA. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, AND IT WAS DESTROYED DURING A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT AND SIX PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY SUNDANCE HELICOPTERS, INC., WHICH IS BASED IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A SIGHTSEEING TOUR FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE GRAND CANYON WEST AIRPORT ABOUT 1237. THE OPERATOR INDICATED THAT THE ANTICIPATED FLIGHT TIME BETWEEN THE AIRPORT HELIPAD, ELEVATION ABOUT 4,750 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND THE LANDING SITE ADJACENT TO THE COLORADO RIVER, ELEVATION 1,300 FEET MSL, LASTS BETWEEN 3 AND 4 MINUTES. THE PORTION OF THE FLIGHT THROUGH THE CANYON LASTS ABOUT 1 MINUTE. THERE WERE NO COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE ACCIDENT PILOT DURING HIS TAKEOFF FROM THE UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, OR PRIORTO THE INITIATION OF HIS DESCENT INTO THE CANYON. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THIS ACTION WAS UNUSUAL, AND THAT NORMALLY THE PILOT BROADCASTS HIS INTENTIONS DURING THE FLIGHT. A TOUR HELICOPTER PILOT FROM ANOTHER OPERATOR, WHO WAS AIRBORNE AND DESCENDING IN THE CANYON, COMMENTED THAT HE ALSO DID NOT HEAR ANY RADIO TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER, WHOM HE KNEW. A GROUND-BASED WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT'S ENTRANCE INTO THE CANYON WAS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE PILOT HAD DELAYED INITIATION OF THE DESCENT FOR BETWEEN 20 AND 45 SECONDS WHILE HOVERING ABOVE THE CANYON'S ENTRANCE. THE ON SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND FRAGMENTED HELICOPTER WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF A POSSIBLE GROUND SCAR IN THE NEAR VERTICAL FACE OF THE CANYON WALL. BENEATH THE WALL WAS A FRAGMENT FROM THE TIP OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED OVER 250 TO 300 YARDS FARTHER DOWN THE CANYON. THE ELEVATION OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE GROUND SCAR SIGNATURE WAS ESTIMATED AT 20 FEET LOWER THAN THE SIGNATURE FOR THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. IT WAS PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY A GROUND FIRE. RELATIVE TO THE OVERALL LENGTH OF THE CANYON, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE CANYON, AT AN APPROXIMATE ELEVATION OF 2,150 FEET MSL. AT THIS LOCATION, THE CANYON IS BETWEEN 500 AND 1,000 FEET WIDE. ALL OF THE RECOVERABLE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE WRECKAGE HAS BEEN TRANSPORTED TO AN EXAMINATION FACILITY IN ARIZONA.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N270SH · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.