# Accident 20040626018319A: Snias AS350B3, Cibecue, AZ, June 26, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 26, 2004, 04:00 local time
- Place: Cibecue, AZ
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: S4WA
- Location: 34.0447° N, 110.4847° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0447&lon=-110.4847&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5226R (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B3
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 11,270 total, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA285) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040626018319A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JULY 27, 2004 THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR NATIVE AIR AMBULANCE REPORTED THAT ON JULY 4, 2004, DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED TO THE TAILBOOM SECTION OF N5226R, AN AS-350B3 HELICOPTER. THE LETTER FROM THE COMPANY STATES THAT IN TRACING THE HISTORY OF THE AIRCRAFT, IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON JUNE 26, 2004, DURING AN AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT. A STATEMENT FROM THE FLIGHT NURSE ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT AT 0400 LOCAL, THE AIRCRAFT WAS DISPATCHED TO A SCENE CALL. THE LZ WAS A DIRT BASEBALL FIELD. ON APPROACH TO THE BALLFIELD, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A BROWNOUT CONDITION. THE FLIGHT NURSE DESCRIBED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE, ROCKED UP ON THE RIGHT SKID AND SLID SEVERAL INCHES. DURING THE POST FLIGHT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT, NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW APPROXIMATELY 15 MORE MISSIONS BEFORE THE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON JULY 4, 2004. DAMAGE CONSISTS OF SEVERAL SMALL BUCKLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND UNDERSIDE OF THE TAILBOOM APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 FEET AFT OF THE TAILBOOM ATTACHMENT POINT AND A 8-10 INCH CREASE APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES AFT OF THE TAILBOOM ATTACHMENT POINT ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE TAILBOOM. THE TAILBOOM ASSEMBLY AND ENGINE REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. A TECHNICAL INSPECTION BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER STATES THAT THE DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH A HARD LANDING.

## 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 LAX04LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04LA285), Jun 26, 2004: Eurocopter France AS350B3 (N5226R), Cibecue, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain a proper decent rate during the landing approach and misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in the accident was the brownout conditions…

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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