- Date
- September 17, 2010, 06:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pikes Peak, CO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5802WAerospatiale AS 355F1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100917044559A
- Case key
- 77315
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The helicopter's encounter with an unexpected downdraft, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was operating his dual turbine-engine helicopter near a mountain in an effort to film an automobile driving on a road below. The pilot stated that he had operated around this particular mountain several times a year over the past 24 years and had established a flight profile which minimized the associated risks. One sharp turn in the road near the peak required the pilot to fly outbound from the mountain and make a gentle 180-degree turn back to film the automobile. When the pilot flew outbound from the mountain the flying conditions were normal. However, after turning 180 degrees and on the inbound leg towards the mountain, the helicopter encountered a downdraft and was pushed toward the rising terrain. Helicopter performance at that altitude did not provide the pilot with a power margin great enough to arrest the descent. The pilot elected to perform a landing to the road rather than risk a turn down the rocky mountain slope. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard and rolled over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The airline transport certified pilot was operating his dual turbine-engine helicopter near a 14,110 foot high mountain in order to film an automobile driving up a road. The pilot stated that he had operated around this particular mountain several times a year over the past 24 years and had established a flight profile which minimized the associated risks. One sharp turn in the road near the peak required the pilot to fly outbound from the mountain and make a gentle 180-degree turn back to film the automobile. When the pilot flew outbound from the mountain the flying conditions were normal. However, after turning 180 degrees and on the inbound leg towards the mountain, the helicopter encountered a downdraft and was pushed towards the rising terrain. Helicopter performance at that altitude did not provide the pilot with a power margin great enough to "power out" of the descent. The pilot elected to perform a landing to the road rather than risk a turn down the rocky mountain slope. The helicopter subsequently touched down hard and rolled over coming to rest on the left side. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the pilot received minor injuries. The three passengers were not injured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5802W
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS 355F1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5221
- Engines
- Allison 250-C20 SER, 420 horsepower, turbo shaftAllison 250-C20 SER, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Aircam National Helicopter Services Inc, doing business as Aircam National Helicopter Services Inc
- Registered owner
- Jbd Enterprises Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Basecamp LZ, CO
- Destination
- Basecamp LZ, CO
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 18, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 8,000 in this make and model · 27,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 21 °F
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 661 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.