# Accident 20100728047319A: American Eu AS350B3, Tucson, AZ, July 28, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 28, 2010, 13:42 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 32.2561° N, 110.9567° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.2561&lon=-110.9567&mi=10
- Aircraft: N509AM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N509AM-2010-12-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Eurocopter AS350B3 (registry code 1145002, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN EU AS350B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B1
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 14,262 total, 363 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR10FA371](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA371) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100728047319A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 28, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 1341 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST) (2041Z), N509AM, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350BE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY AIR METHODS CORPORATION DOING BUSINESS AS LIFENET, ARIZONA, CRASHED IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, APPROXIMATELY 16 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARANA REGIONAL AIRPORT, MARANA, ARIZONA (KAVQ).  THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND POST CRASH FIRE.  ON BOARD WERE THE PILOT, A FLIGHT NURSE, AND A PARAMEDIC; ALL RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.  THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES AND MODERATE GROUND DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A RESIDENCE.  WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, WIND VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS.

## 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 WPR10FA371](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA371), Jul 28, 2010: American Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (N509AM), Tucson, AZ, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The repair station technician did not properly install the fuel inlet union during reassembly of the engine; the operator’s maintenance personnel did not adequately inspect the technician's work; and…

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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