20141027021109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · Sierra Vista, AZ · October 27, 2014

Date: October 27, 2014 · 16:00 local
Place: Sierra Vista, AZ
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5204X
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR15TA027
Reported as: Eurocopter AS 350 B2
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,870 total2,465 in this make and model96 in the last 90 days

N5204XRegistration cancelled Jan 8, 2022 · Eurocopter AS 350 B2S/N 3099 · Built 1998 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B2 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.

On October 27, 2014, while conducting surveillance operations for the us customs and border patrol near Sierra Vista Arizona, N5204X experienced a loss of power at low altitude and low airspeed which resulted in a forced auto-rotation. During the auto-rotation touch down, the tail rotor struck the ground resulting in loss of the tail rotor and tail boom. The aircraft subsequently rotated and rolled over upside down in a small ravine.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 27, 2014, WHILE CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS FOR THE US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL NEAR SIERRA VISTA ARIZONA, N5204X EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AT LOW ALTITUDE AND LOW AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A FORCED AUTO-ROTATION. DURING THE AUTO-ROTATION TOUCH DOWN, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND RESULTING IN LOSS OF THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL BOOM. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY ROTATED AND ROLLED OVER UPSIDE DOWN IN A SMALL RAVINE.

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 WPR15TA027Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportBisbee, AZFailure of maintenance personnel to ensure adequate torque of a pneumatic control pipe (P2) fitting, which resulted in a loss of engine power during low altitude flight maneuvers.Oct 27, 2014 · Substantial damage