# NTSB DEN01LA057: Eurocopter France AS-350-B2, Powder River, WY, February 27, 2001

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: February 27, 2001, 14:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place: Powder River, WY
- Coordinates: 43.279628, -107.150543 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.2796&lon=-107.1505&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report September 30, 2003
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Parties: FAA FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 51827
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01LA057
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51827/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01LA057

## Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during aircraft shut down procedures. Contributing factors were: the snow and ice covered field and the confined landing areas unsuitable obstacle clearance.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - on ground/water, standing - idling rotors
  - cyclic - inadvertent activation, pilot in command (cause)
- On ground/water collision with object, standing - idling rotors
  - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor)
  - terrain condition - icy (contributing factor)
  - terrain condition - congested/confined area (contributing factor)
  - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor)

## Analysis

The pilot had just completed a mission repositioning seismic equipment and was landing the helicopter on a snow and ice covered field in a confined staging area. He locked the collective control lever in the full down position, reduced power to 70 percent and opened the door to see if he had landed on one of his long lines. He inadvertently bumped the cyclic resulting in the helicopter turning to the right approximately 70 degrees allowing the lower vertical fin on the tail boom to come in contact with a metal gear/equipment cage. The structural integrity of the fin was compromised and required replacement.

## Factual narrative

On February 27, 2001, at approximately 1430 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter-France  AS-350-B2 helicopter, C-GEYN, operated by Venture Helicopters Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a utility box while landing on an snow and ice covered field near Powder River, Wyoming.  The commercial pilot and sole occupant on board was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for this local flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1330.

According to the pilot, he had just completed a mission repositioning seismic equipment and was landing on a snow and ice covered field in a confined staging area. He locked the collective control lever in the full down position, reduced power to 70 percent and opened the door to see if he had landed on one of his long lines. He inadvertently bumped the cyclic resulting in the helicopter turning to the right approximately 70 degrees allowing the lower vertical fin on the tail boom to come in contact with a metal gear/equipment cage. The structural integrity of the fin was compromised and required replacement.

## Aircraft

- Registration: C-GEYN (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Eurocopter France AS-350-B2
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 2732
- Airframe hours: 1419
- Engines: Arriel IDI 700 horsepower turbo shaft
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Other work use, Part 91
- Registered owner: Venture Helicopters Limited
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, January 30, 2001, 57 hours before

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 36; injuries: none; commercial; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review January 6, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 2,200 total, 700 in this make and model, 1,900 as pilot in command, 98 in the last 90 days, 26 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 20 ft overcast
- Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observed at: CPR, 25 nm away

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.