# Accident 20041109035059A: Snias AS350B, Oxnard, CA, November 9, 2004 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 9, 2004, 12:15 local time - Place: Oxnard, CA - Airport: Oxnard Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1997° N, 119.2186° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1997&lon=-119.2186&mi=10 - Aircraft: N655TV, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N655TV-2017-07-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aerospatiale AS350B (registry code 8680800, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B - Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL1B - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,200 total, 395 in this make and model, 87 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX05LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA020) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041109035059A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) WHILE UNDERGOING RECURRENT TRAINING IN THE AEROSPATIALE AS-350 SERIES HELICOPTER AT OXNARD AIRPORT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS HAPPENED. AT 10:00 AM PST THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT BRIEFED THE STUDENT PILOTS AT VAN NUYS AIRPORT. AT 10:45 PST N655TV DEPARTED VAN NUYS AIRPORT WITH THREE PERSONS ON BOARD TO CAMARILLO AIRPORT WHERE ONE STUDENT WAS DROPPED OFF TO AWAIT HIS TURN. TRAINING BEGAN WITH 2 TRAFFIC PATTERN APPROACH TO A HOVER, THEN DEPARTED TO OXNARD AIRPORT TO USE A GRASS AREA FOR SLIDING TOUCH DOWN MANEUVERS. THE PILOTS PRACTICED HYDRAULIC PROCEDURES AND TAIL ROTOR CONTROL FAILURE PROCEDURES, ENGINE FAILURE FROM A HOVER AND ENGINE FAILURE FROM A HOVER TAXI TO THE GRASS AREA AT THE WEST END OF RUNWAY 26 (OXR). AT APPROX 12:15 THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (IP) BRIEFED THE STUDENT PILOT (SP) THAT THE FIRST STRAIGHT IN AUTOROTATION WOULD BE A POWER RECOVERY. THE SP INITIATED A NORMAL TAKE OFF AND ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE GRASS AREA AT APPROX 500 FEET AGL AND 70 KTS, IP ADVISED STUDENT PILOT TO REDUCE COLLECTIVE AS IP MOVED THE FUEL FLOW CONTROL OUT OF THE FLIGHT GATE AND INTO THE 70% RANGE. SP PLACED THE COLLECTIVE IN THE FULL DOWN POSITION AND INITIATED THE AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT. THE ROTOR RPM STAYED IN THE GREEN ARC AND AIR SPEED WAS 65 KTS THROUGH THE DESCENT PHASE. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DESCENT SP STARTED THE INITIAL FLARE AND COMPLETED A NORMAL DECELERATION. THE IP THEN ANNOUNCED TO INITIATE THE POWER RECOVERY. THE SP STARTED THE INITIAL PITCH PULL AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED THE COLLECTIVE COULD NOT BE MOVED. THE IP COULD FEEL THE JERKING MOVEMENTS ON THE COLLECTIVE, AND HEARD THE SP STATED THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOCKED. THE IP SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKED DOWN TO VERIFY THE COLLECTIVE LOCK WAS ENGAGED WHILE REACHING OVER TO THE SP COLLECTIVE TRYING TO UNLOCK IT. WHILE THE SP HELD THE FLARE THE IP PUT THEIR LEFT HAND BEHIND THE SP HAND TO MOVE THE COLLECTIVE AND FIND THE CORRECT POSITION TO UNLOCK IT, WHILE THE IP RIGHT HAND WAS ON THE LOCKING STRIP TO FIND THE OPENING. AT THIS TIME THE IP REALIZED THEY WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE GROUND. THE IP MOVED THEIR HANDS BACK ONTO THE CONTROLS TO INCREASE THE FLARE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A HEADING OF 260 DEGREES WITH THE TAIL SKID DRAGGING APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED FORWARD AS IT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN CONTINUING ON FOR 32 FEET WEST WHERE IT HIT THE GROUND A SECOND TIME ON ITS LANDING GEAR (SKIDS) TIPPING FORWARD WHILE SLIDING 24 FEET TO IMPACT THE LOWER NOSE IN THE GROUND CRUSHING THE NOSE AND BREAKING THE BOTTOM FRONT BELLY PANEL FREE OF THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT AIRBORNE AGAIN SPINNING TO ITS LEFT 180 DEGREES TAIL LOW. WHILE IN THE 180 DEGREE SPIN, THE TAIL IMPACTED THE GROUND SIDEWAYS AND DRUG ABOUT 2 FEET. THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND FACING 095 DEGREES ON ITS LANDING GEAR 98 FEET SOUTH OF ITS LAST IMPACT POINT WHERE IT BOUNCED BACK AIRBORNE STILL SPINNING TO THE LEFT FOR A SECOND 180 DEGREE TURN TO A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 275 DEGREES IMPACTED THE GROUND ON ITS LANDING GEAR 81 FEET EAST OF ITS LAST IMPACT POINT GOING BACKWARDS, WHERE IT DUG IN THE AFT GEAR SPRING TABS AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE WHERE IT CAME TO REST. ## 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 LAX05LA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA020), Nov 9, 2004: American Eurocopter AS350-BA (N655TV), Oxnard, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadvertent in-flight engagement of the collective down lock, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and ground impact. The collective down lock engagement was likely due to a combination of… 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.