# NTSB CEN09WA612: Eurocopter AS350, Barcelona, Spain, June 22, 2009

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Foreign investigation
- Date: June 22, 2009
- Place: Barcelona, Spain
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 2 fatal
- Status: Led by another country's authority
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Lead agency: Other
- NTSB case key (mKey): 74832
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN09WA612
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/74832/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74832
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09WA612

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Part(s) separation from AC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 563 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/338/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: External load event (Rotorcraft)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/480); cases with it: [All aircraft, 51 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/480/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240); cases with it: [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Factual narrative

On June 22, 2009 a Eurocopter AS350B3, Spanish registration EC-IOJ was destroyed while filling the fire attack system with water during a fire extinguishing operation. The pilot and passenger both were killed. According to several witness statements, the helicopter had completed the refill operation and began a climb to continue the mission when the water tank unloaded at the same time the cable link to the tank rebounded and coiled into the main rotor system. The helicopter immediately began an emergency decent and impacted the terrain. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviacion Civil of Spain (CIAIAC). Any further information may be obtained from: Ministerio de Fomento Comision de Investigacion de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviacion Civil C/ Fruela, 6, Primera Planta 28011 Madrid, Spain

## Aircraft

- Registration: EC-IOJ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS350 (B3)
- Category: Helicopter
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Firefighting, Non-U.S., non-commercial
- Airworthiness certificate: Unknown
- Departed: Barcelona
- Flight plan: Unknown

## Docket (1 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 28, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74832. 71 KB in all.

- Spanish Notification (item 1, .PDF, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40324698&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Spanish%20Notification-Master.PDF

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.

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