# Accident 20240527017939A: Aerospatiale SA315B, Hilldale, UT, May 27, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 27, 2024, 08:00 local time
- Place: Hilldale, UT
- Airport: Colorado City Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.0219° N, 113.0189° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0219&lon=-113.0189&mi=10
- Aircraft: N57948, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N57948) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale SA315B (registry code 8680615, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-sa315b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIB (registry code 60003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-artousteiiib) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE SA315B
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARTOUSTEIIIB
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 530 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR24LA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA161) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240527017939A

## Narrative

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

ON MAY 27, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 MTN,  AIRCRAFT FLEW TO A LOCAL RANCH AND LANDED IN A FIELD TO PROVIDE A RIDE TO 3 PASSENGERS. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE HELICOPTER HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER (THE PILOT HEARD THE ENGINE WHINING DOWN). THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED AND ONE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. A POST CRASH FIRE INSUED CONTAINED WITHIN THE ENGINE MID-SECTION AND WAS IMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED.

THE ON SITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD ON A DIRT ROAD, THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND TAIL BOOM SEPARATED. THE HELICOPTER INITIALLY HAD 100 GALLONS OF FUEL WHEN IT STARTED AND THE PILOT PUMPED OUT REST OF FUEL ABOUT 40 GALLONS. CONTROL CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND FOUND TO BE NORMAL. ALL AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN THE SCENE.

AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN REVEALED THAT THE ONE THERMOCOUPLER WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED AND THE OTHER WAS FOUND DISLOGEDED.

## 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 WPR24LA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA161), May 27, 2024: Aerospatiale SA315B (N57948), Hildale, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the EGT thermocouples, which resulted in catastrophic overtemperature of the engine and a total loss of engine power.

## Other reports on N57948 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20121019025709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121019025709A), Oct 19, 2012: Aerospatiale SA315B (N57948), Helena, OK, Substantial damage. Description: while conducting CFR 133 operations the pilot stated he landed the aircraft into the wind on flat ground to reset a cone that had been blown over…

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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