# Accident 20170711016549A: Airbus AS-350, King Vale, CA, July 11, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2017, 15:10 local time
- Place: King Vale, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: AWTA
- Location: 39.3053° N, 120.4344° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3053&lon=-120.4344&mi=10
- Aircraft: N357PJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N357PJ-2019-01-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B (registry code 60037, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AIRBUS AS-350
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,631 total, 1,248 in this make and model, 113 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA17CA404](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA404) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170711016549A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTING PG&E EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR TO EVALUATE LOCAL RESIVIOR DAMS WITH RECENT SNOW MELT AS A HYDROELECTRIC SERVICE.  THE AIRCRAFT AND PASSENGERS HAD BEEN TO TWO PREVIOUS ALPINE RESIVIORS THAT DAY.  PILOT ATTEMPTED TWO LANDINGS NEAR THE THIRD RESIRVOIR (KIDD LAKE DAM).  THESE LANDING ATTEMPTS WERE ABORTED DUE TO PILOT DETERMINATION.  THE ACCIDENT LOCATION WAS SELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE LANDING ZONE.  PILOT CONFIRMED POWER AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT THE NEW LANDING AREA.  PILOT EXECUTED AN APPROACH TO LANDING AT THE ALTERNATE LANDING ZONE TO THE WEST. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME INTO GROUND EFFECT (AROUND 40' ABOVE THE GROUND) A DUST CLOUD FORMED AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AT 13'6" ABOVE THE GROUND CUTTING THE TREE IN HALF.  THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES LEFT BANK AND POINTING TO THE WEST.  5 PASSENGERS AND THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT.  FOLLOWING NOTIFICATION TO THE OPERATOR/CUSTOMER THE PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL MEDICAL TREATMENT FACILITY TO BE EVALUATED FOR ANY UNOBSERVED INJURY.  NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE NOTED.

THIS IS THE INITIAL REPORT AND WILL BE UPDATED SHOULD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE.

## 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 GAA17CA404](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA404), Jul 11, 2017: Eurocopter AS 350 (N357PJ), King Vale, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while landing in a dusty, unimproved landing zone.

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.