# NTSB DEN04LA033: Aerospatiale AS 365 N-2, N291LL, Santa Fe, NM, December 27, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 27, 2003, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Santa Fe, NM - Coordinates: 35.616664, -106.088058 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.6167&lon=-106.0881&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 30, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 58544 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN04LA033 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58544/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN04LA033 ## Probable cause the pilot's failure to maintain lateral clearance from the hangar. A contributing factor was the gusty crosswind. ## Analysis The wind was from "270 degrees at 16 knots with gusts unknown" when the pilot landed on the runway. He then ground taxied towards a maintenance hangar. He described his ground taxi speed as "a fast walk pace." As the helicopter passed between two sets of hangars, "high velocity winds from the left (270 degrees)...lifted the left wheel off the ground." He applied left cyclic control and left tail rotor control that brought the helicopter off centerline to the left. He maneuvered the helicopter and focused on the same corner of the hangar "as I always did" when parking. "As soon as I was starting to use right pedal, the [main rotor] blades impacted the hangar door," and the "torque of the blades pulled the aircraft nose around into the hangar door, causing [the helicopter] to land on its left side." ## Factual narrative On December 27, 2003, approximately 1545 mountain standard time, N291LL, an Aerospatiale AS 365 N-2, operated by Aerowest Helicopters, Inc., and doing business as New Mexico Life Rescue, was destroyed when it struck a hangar while taxiing at Santa Fe Municipal Airport, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The commercial pilot, the only occupant aboard, was not injured, Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the positioning flight being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from St. Vincent's Hospital in Santa Fe approximately 1530. According to the pilot's accident report, the wind was from "270 degrees at 16 knots with gusts unknown" when he landed on runway 28. He then ground taxied on taxiways Charlie and Alpha towards the Santa Fe Jet maintenance hangar. He described his ground taxi speed as "a fast walk pace." As the helicopter passed between two sets of hangars, "high velocity winds from the left (270 degrees)...lifted the left wheel off the ground." He applied left cyclic control and left tail rotor control that brought the helicopter off centerline to the left. He maneuvered the helicopter and focused on the same corner of the hangar "as I always did" when parking. "As soon as I was starting to use right pedal, the [main rotor] blades impacted the hangar door," and the "torque of the blades pulled the aircraft nose around into the hangar door, causing [the helicopter] to land on its left side." According to FAA inspectors and the operator, the helicopter was destroyed. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, taxi - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - object - hangar/airport building ## Aircraft - Registration: [N291LL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N291LL-2006-06-29), registration cancelled 2006-06-29, S/N 6402, built 1991 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale AS 365 N-2 - Registry model: [Aerospatiale AS 365 N2 DAUPHIN](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-365-n2-dauphin) (registry code 8680815) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (registry code 60030, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 6402 - Airframe hours: 6635 - Engines: Turbomeca Arriel 1C2 737 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Aerowest Helicopters, Inc., doing business as New Mexico Life Rescue - Registered owner: Business Aircraft Leasing, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, November 27, 2003, 48 hours before - Departed: NONE, Santa Fe, NM - Destination: SAF, Santa Fe, MA - Airport: SAF, Santa Fe Municipal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; private, flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 19, 2003; seat: right; flight hours: 4,400 total, 150 in this make and model, 4,000 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 290° at 14 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 28 °F, dew point 12 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: SAF ## 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 20031227033539A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20031227033539A), Dec 27, 2003: Aerosp AS365N2, Santa Fe, NM, Destroyed. (-23) On December 27, 2003, at 1545 MST, a aerospatiale dauphin, N291LL, registered to business aircraft leasing inc., and operated by aerowest helicopters,… 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.