# Accident 20260319002939A: Aerospatiale SA341G, Winslow, AZ, March 19, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 19, 2026, 14:00 local time
- Place: Winslow, AZ
- Airport: Winslow-Lindbergh Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0219° N, 110.7225° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WINSLOW-LINDBERGH RGNL (INW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0219&lon=-110.7225&mi=10
- Aircraft: N71FR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N71FR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale SA341G GAZELLE (registry code 8680610, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-sa341g-gazelle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ASTAZOU-111A (registry code 60007, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-astazou-111a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE SA341G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 2,025 total, 7 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260319002939A

## Narrative

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

THE RECENTLY PURCHASED HELICOPTER WAS BEING FERRIED FROM NEVADA TO FLORIDA BY THE NEW OWNER (PILOT) AND A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI). THE CREW STOPPED AT KINW TO REFUEL, TOPPING OFF BOTH THE MAIN AND AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS.

WITH THE OWNER AT THE CONTROLS, THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 10–20 FEET AGL BEFORE REACHING TORQUE AND TEMPERATURE LIMITS. THE HELICOPTER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND INITIATED A RIGHT TURN; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAILBOOM AND OTHER COMPONENTS.

POST-EVENT REVIEW OF WEIGHT AND BALANCE INDICATED THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 143 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT PER THE ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL (RFM). PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS BASED ON RFM CHARTS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT EXCEEDED ALLOWABLE LIMITS BY APPROXIMATELY 279 POUNDS. THE PILOT AND CFI REPORTED THAT PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS WERE NOT COMPLETED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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