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20041102029139A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 B3 · Sierra Vista, AZ · November 2, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 2, 2004 · 07:45 local
Place
Sierra Vista, AZ
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
A1UA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N106LN
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX05LA025
Reported as
Snias AS350B3
Reported engine
TMECA ARRIEL2B
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
9,992 total65 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N106LNRegistration cancelled Dec 9, 2013 · Eurocopter AS 350 B3S/N 3251 · Built 1999Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B3Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot was responding to an EMS call when he took-off from the designated heli-pad on the roof top of Sierra Vista regional hospital. After an approx. fifty (50) foot vertical ascent, the pilot tipped the nose of the helicopter forward to enter translational lift. At approx. 35 KIAS and 150-200 ft (AGL) he was approx. ten (10) seconds into forward flt. When the turbine (prime mover) rapidly went to ground idle. The pilot was able to make a "running" emergency landing in a bank's parking lot. The helicopter touched down with approx. 20 KIAS and slid straight for approx. 90 ft, then skewed left 90 degrees until coming to rest upright. The main rotor did not contact any object and neither the pilot or medical crew members sustained any injuries. There was no post-event fire or injury to any pedestrian/property. The helicopter's airframe was, however, substantially damaged including the aft fuselage section, the tail cone, the lwr vert. Fin, both landing skids, and the tail rotor drive system.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS RESPONDING TO AN EMS CALL WHEN HE TOOK-OFF FROM THE DESIGNATED HELI-PAD ON THE ROOF TOP OF SIERRA VISTA REGIONAL HOSPITAL. AFTER AN APPROX. FIFTY (50) FOOT VERTICAL ASCENT, THE PILOT TIPPED THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER FORWARD TO ENTER TRANSLATIONAL LIFT. AT APPROX. 35 KIAS AND 150-200 FT (AGL) HE WAS APPROX. TEN (10) SECONDS INTO FORWARD FLT. WHEN THE TURBINE (PRIME MOVER) RAPIDLY WENT TO GROUND IDLE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A "RUNNING" EMERGENCY LANDING IN A BANK'S PARKING LOT. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH APPROX. 20 KIAS AND SLID STRAIGHT FOR APPROX. 90 FT, THEN SKEWED LEFT 90 DEGREES UNTIL COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE MAIN ROTOR DID NOT CONTACT ANY OBJECT AND NEITHER THE PILOT OR MEDICAL CREW MEMBERS SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES. THERE WAS NO POST-EVENT FIRE OR INJURY TO ANY PEDESTRIAN/PROPERTY. THE HELICOPTER'S AIRFRAME WAS, HOWEVER, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED INCLUDING THE AFT FUSELAGE SECTION, THE TAIL CONE, THE LWR VERT. FIN, BOTH LANDING SKIDS, AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX05LA025Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSierra Vista, AZAn inconsistency between the engines' two N2 sensor signals caused the fuel control to enter a fixed mode, which limited the power available. Contributing to the accident was the lack of altitude and airspeed available to give the pilot time to select a…Nov 2, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N106LN · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20130607013579AHover/Holding · Grand Praire, TXOn 06/07/2013 at 2140 local time an Eurocopter as 350 B3, owned by cfs air LLC., operated by qmla air methods under part 135. Was involved in an accident after trying to do a go around after hovering above runway 35. This was a training flight, they were…Jun 7, 2013 · Substantial damage