# Accident 20030920037859A: Snias AS350BA, Grandcanyonwes, AZ, September 20, 2003 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 20, 2003, 12:37 local time - Place: Grandcanyonwes, AZ - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: KBMA - Location: 35.9850° N, 113.7933° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9850&lon=-113.7933&mi=10 - Aircraft: N270SH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N270SH-2006-06-01) (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 - Reported engine: LYC LTS101600A3 - People aboard: 7 - Fatal injuries: 7 - Pilot flight hours: 7,900 total, 2,350 in this make and model, 233 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX03MA292](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03MA292) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030920037859A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## 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 LAX03MA292](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03MA292), Sep 20, 2003: Aerospatiale AS350BA (N270SH), GrandCanyonWest, AZ, destroyed, 7 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's disregard of safe flying procedures and misjudgment of the helicopter's proximity to terrain, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a canyon wall. Contributing to the accident was… ## Other reports on N270SH (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20000730026249I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000730026249I), Jul 30, 2000: Snias AS350BA (N270SH), Grand Canyon, AZ, Minor damage. (-23) This incident occurred as a result of the pilot performing low level or (terrain flight) during which time a turning manuever was performed causing one… - [Incident 20000523016979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000523016979I), May 23, 2000: Snias AS350BA (N270SH), Peach Springs, AZ, Minor damage. (-23)Aircraft N270SH had landed to a hover over a remote unimproved helipad. While making a pedal turn over the helipad, the pilot miscalculated his distance… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.