20211016019809A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B3 · Tucson, AZ · October 16, 2021

Date
October 16, 2021 · 11:00 local
Place
Tucson, AZ
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
QMLA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N544AM
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR22LA018
Reported as
Eurocopter AS 350 B3
Reported engine
Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,188 total160 in this make and model30 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.

During landing to an elevated hospital helipad, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the handle of a large fire extinguisher located on the helipad. The tail rotor and tail boom sustained substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

DURING LANDING TO AN ELEVATED HOSPITAL HELIPAD, THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE HANDLE OF A LARGE FIRE EXTINGUISHER LOCATED ON THE HELIPAD. THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL BOOM SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

NTSB investigation

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