- Date
- July 11, 2017, 15:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- King Vale, CA
- Injuries
- 6 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N357PJEurocopter AS 350
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170711016549A
- Case key
- 95551
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while landing in a dusty, unimproved landing zone.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the helicopter reported that, during the landing on the unimproved dirt parking lot, dust started to kick up, and he transitioned to looking through the "chin bubble" for a visual point of reference. When the helicopter was about 5 to 6 ft above the ground, the pilot felt a sudden impact, followed by subsequent impacts from the two additional rotor blades impacting what was later found to be a tree. The helicopter "violently" fell to the ground and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor system. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter reported that, during the landing on the unimproved dirt parking lot, dust started to kick up, and he transitioned to looking through the "chin bubble" for a visual point of reference. When the helicopter was about 5 to 6ft. above the ground, the pilot felt a sudden impact, followed by subsequent impacts from the two additional rotor blades impacting what later was found to be a tree. The helicopter "violently" fell to the ground and rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor system. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N357PJ
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 (B3)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3608
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 1,936.6
- Engine
- Safran 2B, 847 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 24, 2017
- Departed
- Soda Springs, CA
- Destination
- King Vale, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 31
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 23, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,631 total · 1,248 in this make and model · 3,599 as pilot in command · 106 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KBLU, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.