DEN82DA118

NTSB accident investigation · Aerospatiale SA 315 B · 35 Se Moab, UT · June 26, 1982

Accident · Minor injuriesFinal report

Date: June 26, 1982, 10:45 local (16:45 UTC)
Place: 35 Se Moab, UT
Injuries: 1 minor
Damage: Substantial damage
Phase of flight: Maneuvering
Aircraft: N221RMAerospatiale SA 315 B
Weather: Visual (VMC) · Day
Status: Completed · report June 26, 1983
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19820626028509A
Case key: 69646

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malfHover

Compressor assembly,casting - dirty(foggy)Cause

Maintenance,service of aircraft/equipment - inadequateCompany maintenance personnelCause

Compressor assembly - overtemperatureFactor

Turbine assembly,turbine wheel - overtemperatureFactor

Forced landingLanding - flare/touchdown

Load jettison - performedPilot in commandFactor

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown

Terrain condition - loose gravel/sandyFactor

Analysis

Helicopter lifting sling loads lost power in a hover. Pilot jettisoned load and made a forced landing in a ravine, engine had dirt buildup and erosion in the compressor inlet case which led to compressor stall.

Aircraft

Registration: N221RM
Reported as: Aerospatiale SA 315 B
Category: Helicopter
Serial number: 2481
Airframe hours: 5,058
Engine: Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 858 horsepower, turbo shaft
Damage: Substantial damage
Fire: On-Ground
Flight: Part 133
Operator: Rocky Mountain Helicopters
Registered owner: Rocky Mountain Helicopters
Departed: Moab, UT
Destination: Nassau, Bahamas

N221RMRegistration cancelled Dec 20, 1988 · Aerospatiale SA315BS/N 2481 Airframe modelAerospatiale SA315B

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: 40
Certificate: Commercial
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings: Helicopter, Airplane
Medical: Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Flight hours: 5,964 total · 1,969 in this make and model · 3,044 as pilot in command · 224 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 15 statute miles
Temperature: 212 °F

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19820626028509AAerosp SA315B · Moab, UTEngine failed during hover with a sling load. Crashed in a ravine. Compressor inlet case corroded, compressor stallJun 26, 1982 · N221RM · Substantial damage