20200906012609A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B3 · Ft. Greely, AK · September 6, 2020

Date
September 6, 2020 · 10:00 local
Place
Ft. Greely, AK
Airport
Delta Junction
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
P3TA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N354PA
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC20LA089
Reported as
Eurocopter AS 350 B3
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,200 total650 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot stated that shortly after takeoff and established cruise the door suddenly departed the aircraft with no warning or indication of being partial open. The door struck one of the main rotor blades. The pilot landed the aircraft immediately.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND ESTABLISHED CRUISE THE DOOR SUDDENLY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO WARNING OR INDICATION OF BEING PARTIAL OPEN. THE DOOR STRUCK ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.