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20070522011779A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 B3 · San Elizario, TX · May 22, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 22, 2007 · 08:45 local
Place
San Elizario, TX
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N851BP
NTSB investigation
NTSBDFW07GA119
Reported as
Snias AS350B3
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
5,000 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N851BPRegistration cancelled Feb 20, 2009 · Eurocopter AS 350 B3S/N 3588 · Built 2002Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B3Engine 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) On may 22, 2007 at 0838 MDT, a Eurocopter as 350 B3, N851BP, registered to us border patrol air operations, collided with terrain while performing maneuvers along the us and Mexico border. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The aircraft was destroyed, the certificated ATP pilot was fatally injured and the observer was critically injured. The flight originated at el paso, TX on may 22, 2007 at 0645 MDT.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 22, 2007 AT 0838 MDT, A EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3, N851BP, REGISTERED TO US BORDER PATROL AIR OPERATIONS, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE PERFORMING MANEUVERS ALONG THE US AND MEXICO BORDER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, THE CERTIFICATED ATP PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE OBSERVER WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT EL PASO, TX ON MAY 22, 2007 AT 0645 MDT.

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 DFW07GA119Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportSan Elizario, TXThe pilot's encounter with a vortex ring state and his inability to maintain control of the helicopter.May 22, 2007 · Destroyed