# Accident 20230523011049A: Eurocopter AS350B3, San Diego, CA, May 23, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 23, 2023, 22:10 local time
- Place: San Diego, CA
- Airport: Brownfield
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.5704° N, 116.9848° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5704&lon=-116.9848&mi=10
- Aircraft: N791AM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N791AM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680954, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1 (registry code 60056, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS350B3
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,900 total, 200 in this make and model, 86 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR23LA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA200) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230523011049A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 23, 2023, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HELICOPTER CALL SIGN “TROY 161” WITH TWO CREW MEMBERS ONBOARD EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING.   THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BROWN FIELD (SDM) AT APPROXIMATELY 2115 IN SAN DIEGO, CA FOR A ROUTINE PATROL. AFTER COMPLETION OF THEIR MISSION THE AIRCRAFT FLEW BACK TO BROWNFIELD WERE THE CREW PROCEEDED TO DO HOVER AND PATTERN WORK WHILE USING NIGHT VISION GOOGLES (NVG). AFTER COMPLETING PATTERN WORK THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER TO THE AIR OPERATIONS BASE HELIPAD LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BROWN FIELD FOR LANDING.

CREW CONCLUDE THE MISSION AND PROCEED BACK TO BP HEADQUARTERS HLZ. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THE CREW HEARD THE APPROACH OF A FIXED WING AIRCRAFT CONDUCTING THE RNAV 06 INTO BROWN FIELD ON A 5-MILE FINAL, NO FACTOR TO THE SAFETY OF TROY 161. PILOT STATED HE LIKES TO KEEP SOME EXTRA FRICTION ON THE COLLECTIVE FOR CHANGING RADIOS DURING THE PATROL, IN WHICH HE TOOK SOME FRICTION OFF FOR THE MANEUVERS AT BROWN FIELD. AS TROY 161 WAS CLEARING THE FENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET AGL, THE APPROACHING FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT WAS THEN ON A SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 06 AT WHICH TIME THE TRAFFIC COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM (TCAS) ALERTING TROY161 OF THEIR PROXIMITY, ACTIVATING THE "WIG-WAG" TCAS LIGHTS, WHICH BEGAN TO PULSE, CAUSING A STROBING EFFECT BELOW THE AIRCRAFT. (THESE LIGHTS REMAIN SHUT OFF DURING NVG FLIGHT.) PILOT REMOVED HIS HAND FROM THE COLLECTIVE DURING DECENT TO SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURNED HIS HEAD DOWN TO IDENTIFY THE SWITCH. THE COLLECTIVE REDUCED WITH THE DECREASED FRICTION, AND SINCE PILOT HAD GOGGLES DOWN COULDN’T SEE IN PERIPHERY THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. CO-PILOT CALLED OUT ‘WATCH YOUR DESCENT” AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT PULLED COLLECTIVE UP. PILOT DIDN’T STOP THE DESCENT FAST ENOUGH AND THE SKIDS CONTACTED THE GROUND.

NO INJURIES TO THE CREW, AIRCRAFT HAS MINOR DAMAGE, CRUMPLED SKIN ON THE TAIL BOOM WHERE IT ATTACHES TO THE FUSELAGE, TAIL SKID, AND FLIR BALL.

## 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 WPR23LA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA200), May 24, 2023: Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (N791AM), San Diego, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during a hover taxi due to distraction resulting from the unanticipated activation of strobing lights while using night vision googles.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.