# Accident 20160415004039A: Eurocopter France AS350B2, Jasper, GA, April 15, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 15, 2016, 19:55 local time
- Place: Jasper, GA
- Airport: Pickens County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: QMLA
- Location: 34.4456° N, 84.4458° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4456&lon=-84.4458&mi=10
- Aircraft: N561AM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N561AM-2021-09-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter France AS350B2 (registry code 8680973, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1 (registry code 60053, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS350B2
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1D1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,147 total, 1,620 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA159) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160415004039A

## Narrative

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

ON APRIL 15, 2016 APPROXIMATELY 1955 LOCAL TIME A EUROPCOPTER 2007, MODEL A350B2, S/N: 4381, WITH ONE PILOT AND THREE CREWMEMBERS ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT PIEDMONT MOUNTAINSIDE HOSPITAL IN JASPER, GEORGIA. THE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AT TIME OF ACCIDENT CLEAR 10 MILES WINDS @ 120 DEGREES @ 10 KNOTS GUSTING TO 16 KNOTS.

IN THE PILOT?S WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE STATES THAT A NURSE TRAINEE WAS ON BOARD AND HE WAS EXPLAINING THE PROCEDURES FOR LANDING AT THIS HOSPITAL. HE POINTED OUT THE POWER LINES RUNNING NORTH TO SOUTH AND THAT THEY WERE NOW ON A RIGHT DOWN WIND FOR LANDING. HE STATES AT THE HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THAT HE TURN RIGHT BASE AT THE AVIATION SAFETY BALLS, I THEN MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND ROLLED OUT ON FINAL, I IMMEDIATELY FELT THE TAIL ROTOR BEING DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN A RAPID DECENT WITH FORWARD SPEED.

## 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 ERA16LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA159), Apr 15, 2016: Eurocopter France AS350 (N561AM), Jasper, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control due to vortex ring state, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to conduct the landing approach with a…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.