# Accident 20050103000409A: Urocop EC135T1, Casa Grande, AZ, January 3, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 3, 2005, 13:45 local time
- Place: Casa Grande, AZ
- Airport: Casa Grande Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: RMXA
- Location: 32.9547° N, 111.7669° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9547&lon=-111.7669&mi=10
- Aircraft: N135NW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N135NW-2013-08-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter Deutschland EC135T1 (registry code 5620026, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-deutschland-ec135t1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: UROCOP EC135T1
- Reported engine: TMECA ARRIUS2B1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,000 total, 100 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX05LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA060) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050103000409A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JANUARY 3, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 1345 LOCAL, N135NW, AN EC-135 HELICOPTER OPERATED BY OMNIFLIGHT HELICOPTERS WAS DESTROYED DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR THE CASA GRANDE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM WILLIAMS GATEWAY AIRPORT TO CONDUCT A PART 135 FLIGHT EVALUATION AND WAS CONDUCTING CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERN WORK AT CASA GRANDE AIRPORT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES OF CLOSED PATTERN WORK, WHILE ON RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 5, THE CREW FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN THROUGH SOME TURBULENCE. AFTER TURNING BASE, AS A DESCENT WAS INITIATED, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED 60-90 DEGREE BANK TO THE RIGHT, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 60-90 DEGREE BANK TO THE LEFT. THE PIC ASSUMED THE CONTROLS AND INITIATED A POWERED DESCENT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. AT APPROXIMATELY 40-60 FEET, WITH BOTH CREWMEMBERS ON THE CONTROLS, AFT CYCLIC WAS ENTERED TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITNESSES TO LEVEL MOMENTARILY, AND THEN DESCEND VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE CREW DOES NOT RECALL IF COLLECTIVE WAS APPLIED TO CUSHION THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE CAUSING THE TAILBOOM TO SEPARATE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND ON BOTHSKIDS WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE. BOTH SKIDS SPREAD, THE RIGHT SKID SEPARATED AND FLEW UP INTO THE MAIN ROTOR AND WAS FLUNG TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT CAUSING MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. ALL FOUR BLADES WERE DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT WITH THE TAILBOOM PARTIALLY SEPARATED AND DISPLACED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE RIGHT. THE CREW PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN OF THE ENGINES WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL SWITCHES (BOTH ENGINES WERE STILL OPERATING). THE CREW WAS ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT UNASSISTED AND RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES.

## 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 LAX05LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA060), Jan 3, 2005: Eurocopter France EC135T1 (N135NW), Casa Grande, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: the separation of a main rotor control link due to improper maintenance installation.

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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