What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 27, 2022, at approximately 0301 UTC (1901 PDT), an Airbus EC130 T2 aircraft impacted terrain adjacent to a taxiway at the Boulder City Municipal Airport in Boulder City, Nevada, (bvu).
The helicopter, was returning from the grand canyon, on a part 135 tour flight and was on final approach for landing at the carrier’s facility.
Initial witness statements and video obtained from security cameras indicated that the aircraft had terminated an approach and was in a very high hover taxi approaching an asphalt pad that the company typically uses for a final approach/takeoff pad, (fato).
Just as the aircraft was about to make a left turn, it began to slowly spin to the left and began climbing as the rotational speed increased.
After climbing to a height of approximately thirty feet, the aircraft quickly descended, still spinning to the left and impacted terrain adjacent to the fato.
The aircraft remained generally upright and there was no post impact fire.
All 6 passengers and pilot were transported to the hospital with non-life threating injuries.
During an initial investigation, inspectors from this office established control continuity and determined that fuel depletion was not a factor in the crash.
The crash site was photographed and the aircraft was moved to a secure storage facility on the airport and stored until a team of investigators could conduct a detailed inspection.
On 01/11/2023, party members from FAA, NTSB, Airbus Helicopters, safran-turbomeca and the operator, performed a detailed inspection of the aircraft at the Boulder City airport facility. Engine digital engine electronic control unit, (deecu) and appareo storage data was removed from the aircraft and sent to the NTSB lab for detailed analysis.
Damage to the aircraft appeared to be consistent with the actions depicted in the crash video.
No pre crash damage or failed component was found on the aircraft.
The aircraft displayed damage patterns consistent with developing power and rotor system rotation at the time of the crash.
Investigators were unable to interview the pilot due to his injuries and availability.
Report to be amended after interviewing the pilot and other company personnel who were working at the airport at the time of the crash.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 27, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0301 UTC (1901 PDT), AN AIRBUS EC130 T2 AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN ADJACENT TO A TAXIWAY AT THE BOULDER CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN BOULDER CITY, NEVADA, (BVU).
THE HELICOPTER, WAS RETURNING FROM THE GRAND CANYON, ON A PART 135 TOUR FLIGHT AND WAS ON FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING AT THE CARRIER’S FACILITY.
INITIAL WITNESS STATEMENTS AND VIDEO OBTAINED FROM SECURITY CAMERAS INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD TERMINATED AN APPROACH AND WAS IN A VERY HIGH HOVER TAXI APPROACHING AN ASPHALT PAD THAT THE COMPANY TYPICALLY USES FOR A FINAL APPROACH/TAKEOFF PAD, (FATO).
JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, IT BEGAN TO SLOWLY SPIN TO THE LEFT AND BEGAN CLIMBING AS THE ROTATIONAL SPEED INCREASED.
AFTER CLIMBING TO A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY THIRTY FEET, THE AIRCRAFT QUICKLY DESCENDED, STILL SPINNING TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED TERRAIN ADJACENT TO THE FATO.
THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED GENERALLY UPRIGHT AND THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE.
ALL 6 PASSENGERS AND PILOT WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE THREATING INJURIES.
DURING AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION, INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE ESTABLISHED CONTROL CONTINUITY AND DETERMINED THAT FUEL DEPLETION WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE CRASH.
THE CRASH SITE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A SECURE STORAGE FACILITY ON THE AIRPORT AND STORED UNTIL A TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS COULD CONDUCT A DETAILED INSPECTION.
ON 01/11/2023, PARTY MEMBERS FROM FAA, NTSB, AIRBUS HELICOPTERS, SAFRAN-TURBOMECA AND THE OPERATOR, PERFORMED A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE BOULDER CITY AIRPORT FACILITY. ENGINE DIGITAL ENGINE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, (DEECU) AND APPAREO STORAGE DATA WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SENT TO THE NTSB LAB FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ACTIONS DEPICTED IN THE CRASH VIDEO.
NO PRE CRASH DAMAGE OR FAILED COMPONENT WAS FOUND ON THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT DISPLAYED DAMAGE PATTERNS CONSISTENT WITH DEVELOPING POWER AND ROTOR SYSTEM ROTATION AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO INTERVIEW THE PILOT DUE TO HIS INJURIES AND AVAILABILITY.
REPORT TO BE AMENDED AFTER INTERVIEWING THE PILOT AND OTHER COMPANY PERSONNEL WHO WERE WORKING AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.