# NTSB FTW97TA046: Aerospatiale AS-355-F1, N606SP, Taos, NM, November 23, 1996 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: November 23, 1996, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC) - Place: Taos, NM - Coordinates: 36.379436, -105.570983 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3794&lon=-105.5710&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 14, 1997 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 20375 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW97TA046 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/20375/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97TA046 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. A factor was terrain induced turbulence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, hover - in ground effect - weather condition - turbulence,terrain induced (contributing factor) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - cliff - terrain condition - rock(s)/boulder(s) ## Analysis Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the public use helicopter search and rescue mission to locate and recover a deceased victim from the bottom of a canyon (650 feet deep). Winds from the west at 5 to 10 mph and throughout the day several trips were conducted into the canyon. Upon receiving notification of the location and preparedness to remove the victim, the pilot flew the helicopter to the canyon and hovered the helicopter with a portion of the left skid on a boulder. The rescue team loaded the litter into the cabin on the left side of the helicopter. As the litter was being secured and one of the rescue team members was climbing on board, 'a gust of wind caused the helicopter to yaw to the right.' As the pilot 'attempted to regain directional control, the skid started to slip on the rock, the tail pitched downward, and the vertical fin and tail rotor struck a rock.' The pilot secured the engines and set the helicopter down, straddling a boulder. ## Factual narrative On November 23, 1996, at 1415 mountain standard time, an Aerospatiale AS-355-F1, N606SP, registered to the State of New Mexico, and operated by the New Mexico State Police, as a public use aircraft under Title 14 CFR Part 91, crashed while hovering near Taos, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and the search and rescue personnel aboard the helicopter were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the search and rescue mission and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Santa Fe, New Mexico, approximately 0830. During a telephone interview, conducted by the investigator-in-charge, and on the enclosed statement, the pilot reported the following information. The search mission on the day of the accident was to locate and recover a deceased victim from the bottom of a canyon (650 feet deep) one mile south of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, northwest of Taos, New Mexico. Visibility was between 5 and 10 miles with the winds from the west at 5 to 10 mph. Throughout the day several trips were conducted from the base camp area (a 1/8 square mile open grass helipad area) near the west side of the bridge. Ground rescue personnel located the victim and prepared the litter for transport from the canyon. The pilot flew the helicopter to the canyon and hovered the helicopter south with the tail rotor over the water and clear of the rocks near the shore. The pilot set a portion of the left skid on a boulder and hovered while the rescue team loaded the litter into the cabin on the left side of the helicopter. As the litter was being secured and one of the rescue team members was climbing on board, "a gust of wind caused the helicopter to yaw to the right." As the pilot "attempted to regain directional control, the skid started to slip on the rock, the tail pitched downward, and the vertical fin and tail rotor struck a rock." The pilot secured the engines and set the helicopter down, straddling a boulder. The tail rotor, tail boom, tail rotor gearbox, driveshaft, vertical fin, and skids were damaged. ## Aircraft - Registration: N606SP (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale AS-355-F1 - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 5230 - Airframe hours: 4006 - Engines: Allison 250-C20R 450 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft, Part 91 - Registered owner: State Of New Mexico - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 11, 1996, 62 hours before - Departed: SAF, SANTA FE, NM - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: right; flight hours: 2,163 total, 741 in this make and model, 1,911 as pilot in command, 72 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 43 °F ## 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 19961123036599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961123036599A), Nov 23, 1996: Aerosp AS355F1, Taos, NM, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Search and rescue flight. Hovering. Left skid on rock loading victim. Wind gust caused tailrotor strike rocks. (-23) during search & rescue mission by state… 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.