20180929016489A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · Ruidoso, NM · September 29, 2018

Date: September 29, 2018 · 15:00 local
Place: Ruidoso, NM
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: 04VA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N894NA
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA571
Reported as: Eurocopter AS 350 B2
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 16,786 total3,500 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days

N894NARegistration cancelled Mar 11, 2021 · Eurocopter AS 350 B2S/N 2904 · Built 1996 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B2 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.

On September 30, 2018 an astar 350 B2 helicopter (N894NA) registered to roberts aircraft company departed artesia, NM for Ruidoso, NM to pick-up a patient. While enroute, landing location changed to the top of ski apache (sierra blanca mountains). VMC conditions prevailed with light winds. Aircraft had a hard landing resulting in substantial damage with no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2018 AN ASTAR 350 B2 HELICOPTER (N894NA) REGISTERED TO ROBERTS AIRCRAFT COMPANY DEPARTED ARTESIA, NM FOR RUIDOSO, NM TO PICK-UP A PATIENT. WHILE ENROUTE, LANDING LOCATION CHANGED TO THE TOP OF SKI APACHE (SIERRA BLANCA MOUNTAINS). VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH LIGHT WINDS. AIRCRAFT HAD A HARD LANDING RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES.

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 GAA18CA571Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportRuidoso, NMThe pilot's failure to maintain the proper descent rate during landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s failure to conduct preflight performance calculations, which resulted in his operating the helicopter in high-density altitude conditions,…Sep 29, 2018 · Substantial damage