20080629844099A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 B3 · Ash Fork, AZ · June 29, 2008

Date
June 29, 2008 · 04:00 local
Place
Ash Fork, AZ
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
HEEA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N586AE
Reported as
Snias AS350B3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,914 total154 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days

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) At approximately 0310 on 27 June the pilot received a telephone call from the phi communications center placing him and his crew on standby for a motorcycle accident on us highway 89, just south of Ash Fork, AZ. After preparing for the pending flight, the pilot was again contacted at approximately 0315 tha the flight was cleared to launch. Departure time was approximately 0320 with an estimated time enroute of 20 minutes to the scene. Weather at takeoff was clear skies with unrestricted visibility. The pilot was flying with the aid of night vision goggles. As they approached the accident site, emergency vehicles were visible and the pilot made radio contact with the incident commander. Although the pilot informed the incident commander that the highway next to the ambulance appeared to be a suitable lz and that he was willing to attempt a landing there, the fire chief preffered the aircraft to land at his predetermined lz approximately 1.5 miles ahead. The lx he had selected was a side road joining highway 89 from the west at a 90 degree angle. After making several orbits over the lz, the pilot noted that the fire chief had parked his vehicle in a position close enough to highway 89, that for them to land at the lz from the west over his vehicle, in his opinion, would require them to make a steeper than normal approach. According to the pilot's statement, he elected a different approach from the northwest at a 45 degree angle into the same lz. The approach began over an open dirt field with sparse vegetation and took the aircraft over the dirt field, then a small gravel area prior to reaching his intended lz which was the paved road. According to the pilot, he began his approach about 100 yards from the lz and about 150 to 200 feet AGL. About half way into the approach he reports being surprised by the amount of dust being created by the rotor wash. He also recalls making the comment to the crew, "I don't like this very much", and initiated a go around. Shortly thereafter, dust filled almost three fourths of the wind screen and his next recollection was of the aircraft crashing before getting out of the aircraft and assisting crew member to exit the aircraft. Block 30, all occupants safely evacuated the aircraft but there are no escape slides on a helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 0310 ON 27 JUNE THE PILOT RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM THE PHI COMMUNICATIONS CENTER PLACING HIM AND HIS CREW ON STANDBY FOR A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ON US HIGHWAY 89, JUST SOUTH OF ASH FORK, AZ. AFTER PREPARING FOR THE PENDING FLIGHT, THE PILOT WAS AGAIN CONTACTED AT APPROXIMATELY 0315 THA THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO LAUNCH. DEPARTURE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 0320 WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE OF 20 MINUTES TO THE SCENE. WEATHER AT TAKEOFF WAS CLEAR SKIES WITH UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY. THE PILOT WAS FLYING WITH THE AID OF NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. AS THEY APPROACHED THE ACCIDENT SITE, EMERGENCY VEHICLES WERE VISIBLE AND THE PILOT MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE INCIDENT COMMANDER. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT INFORMED THE INCIDENT COMMANDER THAT THE HIGHWAY NEXT TO THE AMBULANCE APPEARED TO BE A SUITABLE LZ AND THAT HE WAS WILLING TO ATTEMPT A LANDING THERE, THE FIRE CHIEF PREFFERED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND AT HIS PREDETERMINED LZ APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES AHEAD. THE LX HE HAD SELECTED WAS A SIDE ROAD JOINING HIGHWAY 89 FROM THE WEST AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL ORBITS OVER THE LZ, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE FIRE CHIEF HAD PARKED HIS VEHICLE IN A POSITION CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIGHWAY 89, THAT FOR THEM TO LAND AT THE LZ FROM THE WEST OVER HIS VEHICLE, IN HIS OPINION, WOULD REQUIRE THEM TO MAKE A STEEPER THAN NORMAL APPROACH. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE ELECTED A DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE INTO THE SAME LZ. THE APPROACH BEGAN OVER AN OPEN DIRT FIELD WITH SPARSE VEGETATION AND TOOK THE AIRCRAFT OVER THE DIRT FIELD, THEN A SMALL GRAVEL AREA PRIOR TO REACHING HIS INTENDED LZ WHICH WAS THE PAVED ROAD. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE BEGAN HIS APPROACH ABOUT 100 YARDS FROM THE LZ AND ABOUT 150 TO 200 FEET AGL. ABOUT HALF WAY INTO THE APPROACH HE REPORTS BEING SURPRISED BY THE AMOUNT OF DUST BEING CREATED BY THE ROTOR WASH. HE ALSO RECALLS MAKING THE COMMENT TO THE CREW, "I DON'T LIKE THIS VERY MUCH", AND INITIATED A GO AROUND. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DUST FILLED ALMOST THREE FOURTHS OF THE WIND SCREEN AND HIS NEXT RECOLLECTION WAS OF THE AIRCRAFT CRASHING BEFORE GETTING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ASSISTING CREW MEMBER TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. BLOCK 30, ALL OCCUPANTS SAFELY EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT BUT THERE ARE NO ESCAPE SLIDES ON A HELICOPTER.