# Accident 20200409003429A: Aerospatiale GAZELLE SA341F2, Fort Meyers, FL, April 9, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 9, 2020, 12:00 local time
- Place: Fort Meyers, FL
- Airport: Page Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 26.5867° N, 81.8633° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5867&lon=-81.8633&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9334W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9334W-2020-09-21) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale GAZELLE SA341F2 (registry code 8680701, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-gazelle-sa341f2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ASTAZOU IIIC2 (registry code 60088, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-astazou-iiic2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE GAZELLE SA341F2
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ASTAZOU IIIC2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,622 total, 6 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20CA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA181) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200409003429A

## Narrative

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

AN EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION HELICOPTER DEPARTING FT. MEYERS (FMY) PAGE FIELD ENROUTE TO ST. AUGUSTINE (KSGJ) SUSTAINED DAMAGE DUE TO UNSPECIFIED REASONS. THE INITIAL REPORT DESCRIBED THE PILOT HAVING YAW ISSUES FOLLOWED BY A HARD IMPACT WITH THE GROUND HOWEVER, THIS CANNOT BE SUBSTANTIATED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT VERTICAL FIN, TAIL SKID PLATE AND BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SKIDS AND APPEARS MADE CONTACT WITH THE AIRFRAME CAUSING NOTICEABLE CREASES NEAR THE CROSS TUBE AREA ON THE AIRFRAME. THE RIGHT DOOR ALSO HARD TO CLOSE AND THE PIC STATED THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY ON PREFLIGHT THEREFORE, MAY INDICATE PREVIOUS DAMAGE UNREPORTED. FURTHER INSPECTION IS SCHEDULED TO DETERMINE ANY TWISTING OF THE AIRFRAME AND OR BULKHEAD DAMAGE. THE REPORT WILL BE UPDATED AS INFORMATION IS OBTAINED. ON 06/15/2020, UPON FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE ACCIDENT INVOLVING A GAZELLE HELICOPTER, THIS REPORT IS BEING AMENDED AFTER FINAL INSPECTION. THE HELICOPTER CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DUE TO ADDITIONAL FINDINGS. THE FRAME ATTACHED VERTICALLY NEAR THE CROSSTUBE WAS FOUND TO BE BUCKLED AND TORN FROM ITS ATTACHMENT FITTING. IN ADDITION, THE HONEYCOMB PANEL ABOVE THE ENGINE NEAR THE CABIN WAS ALSO BUCKLED. THEREFORE, WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED DAMAGE AND NEW REPORTED DAMAGE WILL DEEM THIS HELICOPTER SUBSTANTIAL.

## 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 ERA20CA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20CA181), Apr 9, 2020: Aerospatiale SA341 (N9334W), Fort Myers, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A hard landing that occurred at an unknown time and date, which resulted in substantial damage that was identified prior to a subsequent flight.

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.