# NTSB CEN19LA068: Aerospatiale AS350, N346AE, Ponca City, OK, January 11, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 11, 2019, 11:45 local (17:45 UTC) - Place: Ponca City, OK - Coordinates: 36.725276, -97.101943 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7253&lon=-97.1019&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 29, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - Will Rogers FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 98887 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA068 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98887/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98887 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA068 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain altitude during the hover operation while his view was obstructed due to the fogged-over windshield. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md?model=8680813), [All aircraft, 1,310 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=8680813), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Windows-windshield system: flight compartment windows](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035610): Aircraft › Aircraft structures · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035610/cases.md?model=8680813), [All aircraft, 42 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035610/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231) (defining event); cases with it: [Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md?model=8680813), [All aircraft, 161 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/231/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and an air ambulance crewmember were repositioning the helicopter due to incoming inclement weather. About halfway into the flight, the front windshields were fogging over, and the pilot increased the demister. Upon reaching the destination, the pilot hovered near the company hangar; by this time, the windshields had completely fogged over. The crewmember warned the pilot that he was getting close to the hangar, which was on the helicopter's left side. The pilot felt that he was high enough off the ground to move the helicopter several feet to the right, but the right skid was too low and contacted the ground, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor blades, fuselage, and tailboom. Based on the available information, the dynamic rollover was a result of the pilot's failure to maintain altitude during the hover operation with a fogged-over windshield. ## Factual narrative On January 11, 2019, about 1145 central standard time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 helicopter, N346AE, sustained substantial damage during a dynamic rollover during landing at the Ponca City Regional Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma. The airline transport pilot and helicopter air ambulance crewmember were not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Evac EMS, Inc. under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. Day instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on company visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from the Ponca City Hospital about 1141. The pilot was a repositioning the helicopter due to incoming inclement weather. The weather conditions at the time included light rain and a temperature of about 38° F. He contacted the company Operations Control Center (OCC) and he and the OCC staff agreed that the flight could be conducted within the company safety requirements. The flight was initiated and about halfway into the flight the front windshields were fogging over and the pilot increased the demister. Upon reaching the destination, the pilot hovered near the company hangar by which time the windshields had completely fogged over. The passenger warned the pilot that he was getting close to the hangar which was on the helicopter's left side. The pilot noted that he was looking out of the left chin bubble windshield while attempting to move the helicopter laterally to the right. He felt that he was high enough off the ground to move the helicopter several feet to the right, but the right skid was too low and contacted the ground resulting in a dynamic rollover. Examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the rotor blades, fuselage, and tail boom. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N346AE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N346AE-2022-01-24), registration cancelled 2022-01-24, S/N 2946, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AEROSPATIALE AS350 (B2) - Registry model: [Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350-b2-ecureuil) (registry code 8680813) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1](https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1d1) (registry code 60053, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2946 - Year built: 1996 - Airframe hours: 11499 - Engines: Honeywell LTS-101-700D 732 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Air Evac Ems Inc - Registered owner: Air Evac Ems Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, January 8, 2019 - Departed: Ponca City, OK - Destination: PNC, Ponca City, OK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: PNC, Ponca City Regional Airport - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 75; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 6,617 total, 2,522 in this make and model, 4,720 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 12 knots - Visibility: 4 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 900 ft broken - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: PNC ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190111000189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190111000189A), Jan 11, 2019: Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL, Ponca City, OK, Substantial damage. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91 as an aircraft repositioning flight, visual flight rules. The pilot and one cabin crewmember were not injured as a… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 14, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98887. 631 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 558 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40482381&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 19 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40482382&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - Medic's Statement (item 3, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40482383&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Medic%27s%20Statement-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. --- 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.