- Date
- August 10, 2001, 14:28 local (21:28 UTC)
- Place
- Meadview, AZ
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N169PAEurocopter AS350-B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, Turbomeca Engine Corporation, Federal Aviation Administration, AAI-100, American Eurocopter Corporation
- FAA report
- 20010810030569A
- Case key
- 53007
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 loss of control of the helicopter for undetermined reasons.
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 Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2004/AAB0402.pdf
On August 10, 2001, about 1428 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS350-B2 helicopter, N169PA, operating as Papillon 34, collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent about 4 miles east of Meadview, Arizona. The helicopter was operated by Papillon Airways, Inc., as an air tour flight under Code of Federal Regulations 14 (CFR) Part 135. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The pilot and five passengers were killed, and the remaining passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from the company terminal at the McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1245 as a tour of the west Grand Canyon area with a planned stop at a landing site in Quartermaster Canyon. The helicopter departed the landing site about 1400 and stopped at a company fueling facility at the Grand Canyon West Airport (GCW). The helicopter departed the fueling facility at 1420 and was en route to LAS when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed.
Factual narrative
The Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2004/AAB0402.pdf
On August 10, 2001, about 1428 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS350-B2 helicopter, N169PA, operating as Papillon 34, collided with terrain during an uncontrolled descent about 4 miles east of Meadview, Arizona. The helicopter was operated by Papillon Airways, Inc., as an air tour flight under Code of Federal Regulations 14 (CFR) Part 135. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The pilot and five passengers were killed, and the remaining passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from the company terminal at the McCarran International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada, about 1245 as a tour of the west Grand Canyon area with a planned stop at a landing site in Quartermaster Canyon. The helicopter departed the landing site about 1400 and stopped at a company fueling facility at the Grand Canyon West Airport (GCW). The helicopter departed the fueling facility at 1420 and was en route to LAS when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169PA
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS350-B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2477
- Airframe hours
- 1,356
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 1D1, 625 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Zuni LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 2001 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 1G4 · Grand Canyon W, AZ
- Destination
- LAS · Las Vegas, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 27
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- February 21, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,794 total · 699 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 224 in the last 90 days · 86 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAS, 66 nm away
Docket · 212
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 6, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.