20050921024779A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 B3 · Arrowbear Lake, CA · September 21, 2005

Date: September 21, 2005 · 10:15 local
Place: Arrowbear Lake, CA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: JLFL
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N814CE
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX05LA308
Reported as: Snias AS350B3
Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL2B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,765 total110 in this make and model110 in the last 90 days

N814CERegistration cancelled Dec 14, 2005 · Eurocopter AS 350 B3S/N 3847 · Built 2004 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B3 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2B1Turbo-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) A southern California edison (sce) AS-340-B3 Eurocopter crashed (from a height of @ 78 feet AGL) in a forested area immediately after dropping off an external basket sling load of construction materials (5 gallon containers of telephone pole setting foam). Sce was in the preparation of installing telephone poles in pre-dug holes.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON (SCE) AS-340-B3 EUROCOPTER CRASHED (FROM A HEIGHT OF @ 78 FEET AGL) IN A FORESTED AREA IMMEDIATELY AFTER DROPPING OFF AN EXTERNAL BASKET SLING LOAD OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS (5 GALLON CONTAINERS OF TELEPHONE POLE SETTING FOAM). SCE WAS IN THE PREPARATION OF INSTALLING TELEPHONE POLES IN PRE-DUG HOLES.

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 LAX05LA308Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRunning Springs, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from trees while performing long line external lift operations.Sep 21, 2005 · Substantial damage