20111207028539A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Eurocopter France AS350B2 · Las Vegas, NV · December 7, 2011

Date: December 7, 2011 · 16:37 local
Place: Las Vegas, NV
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: KBMA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N37SH
NTSB investigation: NTSBDCA12MA020
Reported as: Eurocopter France AS350B2
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 5
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total600 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N37SHRegistration cancelled Sep 8, 2017 · Eurocopter France AS350B2S/N 2300 · Built 1989 Airframe modelEurocopter France AS350B2 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-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.

The aircraft came out of 100 hour inspection, inspected and signed off to fly. Test flown by maintenance pilot and released to fly air tours. The aircraft flew two complete grand canyon tours lasting approximatly 2.3 hours. On the third tour which lasted approximatly .6 hour the aircraft crashed. The engine, fore and aft servo and tail rotor servo were changed at the 100 hour inspection.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT CAME OUT OF 100 HOUR INSPECTION, INSPECTED AND SIGNED OFF TO FLY.TEST FLOWN BY MAINTENANCE PILOT AND RELEASED TO FLY AIR TOURS. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW TWO COMPLETE GRAND CANYON TOURS LASTING APPROXIMATLY 2.3 HOURS. ON THE THIRD TOUR WHICH LASTED APPROXIMATLY .6 HOUR THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED. THE ENGINE, FORE AND AFT SERVO AND TAIL ROTOR SERVO WERE CHANGED AT THE 100 HOUR INSPECTION.

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 DCA12MA020Accident · 5 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportLas Vegas, NVSundance Helicopters’ inadequate maintenance of the helicopter, including (1) the improper reuse of a degraded self-locking nut, (2) the improper or lack of installation of a split pin, and (3) inadequate postmaintenance inspections, which resulted in the…Dec 8, 2011 · Destroyed