20130611011009A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · American Eurocopter AS350B2 · Talihina, OK · June 11, 2013

Date: June 11, 2013 · 18:30 local
Place: Talihina, OK
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: 7EMA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N935EM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13FA344
Reported as: American Eurocopter AS350B2
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,472 total91 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N935EMRegistration cancelled Oct 5, 2015 · American Eurocopter AS350B2S/N 7427 · Built 2012 Airframe modelAmerican Eurocopter AS350B2 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1D1Turbo-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 pilot departed the hospital at Talihina, OK. From a parking lot road due to another helicopter on the helipad. The aircraft departed to the west towards the sun. After lift off, the helicopter's rotor blades impacted a 40 feet tall light pole approximately 175 feet away from the initial lift off point. The pilot lost control and crashed 230 feet from its original lift off point. A post impact fire occurred but was quickly extinguished. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL AT TALIHINA, OK. FROM A PARKING LOT ROAD DUE TO ANOTHER HELICOPTER ON THE HELIPAD. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TO THE WEST TOWARDS THE SUN. AFTER LIFT OFF, THE HELICOPTER'S ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED A 40 FEET TALL LIGHT POLE APPROXIMATELY 175 FEET AWAY FROM THE INITIAL LIFT OFF POINT. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED 230 FEET FROM ITS ORIGINAL LIFT OFF POINT. A POST IMPACT FIRE OCCURRED BUT WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

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 CEN13FA344Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportTalihina, OKThe helicopter pilot's failure to see and avoid the 40-ft-tall lamp post during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight evaluation of the obstructions in the takeoff path.Jun 11, 2013 · Substantial damage