# Accident 20120418006089A: Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, Valdez, AK, April 18, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 18, 2012, 11:25 local time
- Place: Valdez, AK
- Airport: Valdez
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: U0GA
- Location: 61.3547° N, 146.4303° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.3547&lon=-146.4303&mi=10
- Aircraft: N191EH (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE AS350 B2 ECUREUIL
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1SER
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,269 total, 289 in this make and model, 29 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC12CA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA033) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120418006089A

## Narrative

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

PILOT FLEW APPROACH TO SNOW FIELD/GLACIER LANDING.  WHILE LOWERING THE HELICOPTER INTO THE SOFT, DEEP SNOW FOR LANDING, THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE SNOW CAUSING A VIBRATION.  THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE HELICOPTER AND UPON INSPECTION DISCOVERED THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE.

## 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 ANC12CA033](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA033), Apr 18, 2012: Aerospatiale AS350 B2 Ecureuil (N191EH), Valdez, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing surface, which resulted in the tail rotor contacting terrain.

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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