# Accident 20200729009899A: American Eurocopter Corp AS350B3, Pioche, NV, July 29, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 29, 2020, 10:00 local time
- Place: Pioche, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: SHBL
- Location: 37.9200° N, 114.5400° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9200&lon=-114.5400&mi=10
- Aircraft: N755AE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N755AE-2022-07-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: American Eurocopter AS350B3 (registry code 1145004, https://openairdocs.org/model/american-eurocopter-as350b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2D (registry code 60080, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP AS350B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA244](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA244) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200729009899A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 29, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 PDT, THE NEVADA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A PART 133 HELICOPTER CRASH INVOLVING A 2013 AMERICAN EUROCOPTER CORP AS350B3 HELICOPTER, REGISTRATION NUMBER N755AE, SERIAL NUMBER 7763. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WAS BEING LEASED AND OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.  THE HELICOPTER CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN EXTREME MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES WEST OF PIOCHE, NEVADA.

## 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 WPR20LA244](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA244), Jul 29, 2020: American Eurocopter AS350 (N755AE), Pioche, NV, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude from terrain and subsequent loss of helicopter control due to entanglement of the external load cable with the tail rotor.

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.

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