- Date
- April 24, 1982, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gold Strike, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N5768ZS.N.I.A.S. AS350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820424015039A
- Case key
- 70843
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 helicopter had just returned from a sightseeing tour of the grand canyon. The pilot reported that the passengers wanted to get out while the helicopter was undergoing its two-minute, cool-down period. The pilot escorted four of the passengers from the helicopter while an attendant was assisting a fifth passenger in unloading her possessions. A gust of wind removed the fifth passenger's hat, and she was struck by the moving tail rotor as she chased the hat. The passenger died shortly after she was transported to a local hospital. The pilot reported that the operator had 30 to 40 flights a day and that the aircraft were not shut down between flights, but that the passengers were escorted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5768Z
- Reported as
- S.N.I.A.S. AS350
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1304
- Airframe hours
- 696
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101-600A2, 615 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Bauer Helicopter, Inc
- Registered owner
- Bauer Helicopter, Inc
- Departed
- Gold Strike, NV
- Destination
- Gold Strike, 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 8,450 total · 200 in this make and model · 8,450 as pilot in command · 172 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 45 statute miles
- Temperature
- 176 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.