- Date
- July 19, 1984, 19:23 local (Jul 20, 1984, 01:23 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N240USAerospatiale AS-355F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840719036519A
- Case key
- 21400
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 helicopter encountered turbulence and downdrafts during landing. The acft impacted the asphalt ramp slightly nose low and bounced 2-3 ft into the air. The nose dipped more and full aft cyclic was applied. The main rotor blades hit the ground and the acft yawed and rolled over to the right. The acft was destroyed by fire. The plt stated that he experienced turbulence and as he turned toward the ramp to land the acft began a rapid descent from 50 ft AGL. A little collective was added but the acft did not respond. The plt turned fast into the wind and added full up collective. The descent continued to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N240US
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-355F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5121
- Airframe hours
- 362
- Engine
- Allison 250 C-20F, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Logistics Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 16, 1984 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- PEQ · Pecos, TX
- Airport
- El Paso International
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,463 total · 13 in this make and model · 7,427 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.