# Accident 20040528010169A: Aerosp AS355N, League City, TX, May 28, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 28, 2004, 09:35 local time
- Place: League City, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.5194° N, 95.2386° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5194&lon=-95.2386&mi=10
- Aircraft: N355CV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N355CV-2013-02-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter/France AS355N TWINSTAR (registry code 8680970, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as355n-twinstar) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355N
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 400 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04FA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA143) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040528010169A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON MAY 28, 2004, AT 0935 LOCAL TIME AN AMERICAN EUROCOPTER AS-355-N, SERIAL NUMBER 5569, REGISTERED AS N355CV CRASHED NEAR LEAGUE CITY, TX. THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED AN AUTOROTATION IN A FIELD AFTER THE PILOT NOTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER IN CRUISE FLIGHT AFTER MAKING A COLLECTIVE INPUT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH THE TAIL BOOM SEVERELY BENT AND DAMAGED AND THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES HAD BROKEN OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAIN ROTORS WERE ATTACHED BUT SEVERELY DAMAGED SHOWING SIGNS OF HIGH ENERGY IMPACTS. THE FUSELAGE WAS BENT AND BROKEN IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS INCLUDING THE MAIN BEAMS AND STRUCTURE. THE PASSENGERS AND PILOT STATEMENTS WERE ALL CONSISTENT; THE PILOT TURNED AND NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD LOST POWER AT APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET AGL. INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE BY FACTORY REP'S FROM EUROCOPTER AND TURBOMECA COULD NOT FIND ANY DISCREPANCIES WITH THE HELICOPTER AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO "DAS" FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TEARDOWN AND TEST CELL RUNS AREA SCHEDULED AT THE MANUFACTURERS IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS.

## 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 FTW04FA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04FA143), May 28, 2004: Eurocopter AS355N (N355CV), League City, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: "THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED MAY 30, 2006." The pilot's misjudged flare during an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent rollover.

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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