- Date
- December 6, 2017, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Rosa, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N790AMEurocopter AS 350
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96434
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
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 reported that, while landing off airport, the helicopter landed slightly harder than normal. The pilot flew the helicopter back to the airport without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed that the helicopter had sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. 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 reported that, while landing off-airport, the helicopter landed slightly harder than normal. The helicopter was flown back to the airport without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed the helicopter had sustained substantial damage to the tail-boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N790AM
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4298
- Built
- 2007
- Engine
- turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- US Department Of Homeland Security
- Registered owner
- US Department Of Homeland Security
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DMA · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- DMA · Tucson, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KDMA, 66 nm away