20200621022189A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Aerospatiale SA342J · Minden Tahoe, NV · June 21, 2020

Date: June 21, 2020 · 13:30 local
Place: Minden Tahoe, NV
Airport: Minden Tahoe
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N342J
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA189
Reported as: Aerospatiale SA342J
Reported engine: Turbomeca ASTAZOU XIV H
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,548 total245 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N342JRegistration cancelled Dec 3, 2022 · Aerospatiale SA342JS/N 1708 · Built 1979 Airframe modelAerospatiale SA342J Engine modelTurbomeca ASTAZOU XIV HTurbo-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 June 21, 2020, privacy data omitted and his passenger were approaching his hangar at the Minden Tahoe Airport while hovering in his Aerospatiale, N334J. The helicopter lost power, and settled into a hard landing. Both pilot and passenger were able to walk away, but a fire started behind the front seats and quickly engulfed the entire helicopter. It was totally destroyed by the fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON JUNE 21, 2020, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HIS PASSENGER WERE APPROACHING HIS HANGAR AT THE MINDEN TAHOE AIRPORT WHILE HOVERING IN HIS AEROSPATIALE, N334J. THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER, AND SETTLED INTO A HARD LANDING. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO WALK AWAY, BUT A FIRE STARTED BEHIND THE FRONT SEATS AND QUICKLY ENGULFED THE ENTIRE HELICOPTER. IT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE.

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 WPR20LA189Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportMinden, NVThe total loss of engine power due to a surge; the reason for the surge could not be determined based on available information. Contributing to the helicopter damage was the total loss of power while the pilot was transitioning through an altitude and…Jun 21, 2020 · Destroyed