20080510838959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Urocop EC 135 T2+ · La Crosse, WI · May 10, 2008

Date: May 10, 2008 · 22:37 local
Place: La Crosse, WI
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: BAQA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N135UW
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI08FA128
Reported as: Urocop EC135T2+
Reported engine: TMECA ARRIUS2B2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,966 total70 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days

N135UWRegistration cancelled Oct 21, 2008 · Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 T2+S/N 0535 · Built 2007 Airframe modelEurocopter Deutschland EC 135 T2+Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIUS-2B2Turbo-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) N135UW departed on a vft flight form the La Crosse Wisconsin municipal airport during the hours of darkness and impacted a wooded ridge approximately 4 1/2 miles southeast of the airport under unknown circumstances. This report will be updated after the engine examination scheduled for July 2008 had concluded and non-volatile data has been downloaded from certain aircraft components.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N135UW DEPARTED ON A VFT FLIGHT FORM THE LA CROSSE WISCONSIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS AND IMPACTED A WOODED RIDGE APPROXIMATELY 4 1/2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED AFTER THE ENGINE EXAMINATION SCHEDULED FOR JULY 2008 HAD CONCLUDED AND NON-VOLATILE DATA HAS BEEN DOWNLOADED FROM CERTAIN AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS.

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 CHI08FA128Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportLa Crosse, WIThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees along the top of a ridgeline due to inadequate preflight planning, insufficient altitude, and the lack of a helicopter terrain awareness and warning system. Member Sumwalt did not approve this brief and…May 11, 2008 · Destroyed