- Date
- July 27, 2007, 12:46 local (19:46 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2009
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration AAI-100, KTVK-TV, US Helicopters Inc., American Eurocopter, Turbomeca, National Air Traffic Controlleer's Association, BEA
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA reports
- 20070727016342A20070727016251A
- Case key
- 66317
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
Both pilots' failure to see and avoid the other helicopter. Contributing to this failure was the pilots' responsibility to perform reporting and visual tracking duties to support their station's ENG operation. Contributing to the accident was the lack of formal procedures for Phoenix-area ENG pilots to follow regarding the conduct of these operations.
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 Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/02.
On July 27, 2007, about 1246 mountain standard time, two electronic news gathering (ENG) helicopters, N613TV and N215TV, collided in midair while maneuvering in Phoenix, Arizona. The Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopters, from local channels 3 and 15, had been covering a police pursuit. N613TV, the channel 3 helicopter, was operated by KTVK-TV, and N215TV, the channel 15 helicopter, was operated by U.S. Helicopters, Inc., under contract to KNXV-TV. Each helicopter had a pilot-reporter and a photographer on board. The occupants on board both helicopters were killed, and the helicopters were destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The helicopters were operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plans had been filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/02.
On July 27, 2007, about 1246 mountain standard time, two electronic news gathering (ENG) helicopters, N613TV and N215TV, collided in midair while maneuvering in Phoenix, Arizona. The Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopters, from local channels 3 and 15, had been covering a police pursuit. N613TV, the channel 3 helicopter, was operated by KTVK-TV, and N215TV, the channel 15 helicopter, was operated by U.S. Helicopters, Inc., under contract to KNXV-TV. Each helicopter had a pilot-reporter and a photographer on board. The occupants on board both helicopters were killed, and the helicopters were destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The helicopters were operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plans had been filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N613TV
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS350-B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2883
- Airframe hours
- 11,810
- Engine
- Turbomeca Ariel 1D1, 732 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ktvk Tv
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 1, 2007
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
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.
- Registration
- N215TV
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS350-B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3167
- Airframe hours
- 5,094.1
- Engine
- Turbomeca Ariel 1D1, 732 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- US Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 15, 2007
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N613TV
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 13,578 total
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N215TV
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2006
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,006 total · 907 in this make and model · 122 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PHX
Docket · 47
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 29, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 35.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.