# Accident 20080205833449A: Snias AS350B2, South Padre Is, TX, February 5, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 5, 2008, 21:50 local time
- Place: South Padre Is, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: HDNA
- Location: 26.1389° N, 97.2069° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.1389&lon=-97.2069&mi=10
- Aircraft: N911VA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N911VA-2009-02-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter France AS350B2 (registry code 8680973, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1 (registry code 60053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SNIAS AS350B2
- Reported engine: TMECA ARRIEL1D
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 1,100 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DFW08FA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08FA062) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080205833449A

## Narrative

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

(-23) WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM HARLINGEN, TX TO SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TX TO PICK UP A PATIENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE IN THE CLOUDS AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO ABORT THE MISSION. RADAR DATA SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT AT 1000' ENTERING A STANDARD RATE 180 DEGREE TURN LEFT TO THE WEST FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A TIGHT 360 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT. AT 2053, THE WEATHER REPORTED AT CAMERON COUNTY (9 MILES WEST OF THE LZ) WAS 010 SCT, 014 OVC, AND VISIBILITY 8 MILES. AT BROWNSVILLE, TX (19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE LZ) THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS 010 0VC WITH 9 MILES VISIBILITY.

## 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 DFW08FA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08FA062), Feb 6, 2008: Eurocopter France AS350B2 (N911VA), S. Padre Island, TX, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in the helicopter impacting the water. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument…

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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