- Date
- December 16, 1982, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N801DBS.N.I.A.S. AS350D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821216064359A
- Case key
- 71101
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
The pilot stated that as he came to a hover to land, an engine surge occurred which sent the helicopter back into the air. Reportedly, the engine continued to surge off and on, and as helicopter came down, it would impact the ground and bounce back in the air. The pilot stated that as the final surge occurred, the helicopter seemed to hit, left skid low, and roll over. The occupants egressed and the engine continued to run. About 10 min later, the helicopter began burning and was consumed by fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N801DB
- Reported as
- S.N.I.A.S. AS350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1195
- Airframe hours
- 1,859
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101, 615 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Panther Pacific Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Panther Pacific Helicopters
- Departed
- BPT · Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- Houston, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 7 · Powers Air Helistop
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,100 total · 23 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.