- Date
- September 24, 1993, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Avery, ID
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N351RMAerospatiale SA 315B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930924036409A
- Case key
- 41775
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 use of the cyclic control.
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 was on a narrow pad with the engine running when the main rotor blades struck a nearby tree stump. The helicopter began spinning and pitched over the side of the landing pad and collided with a tree.
Factual narrative
On September 24, 1993, at 1600 mountain daylight time, the main rotor blades on an Aerospatiale, SA 315B Lama, N351RM, struck a tree stump while standing on a narrow landing pad near Avery, Idaho. The pilot was unable to maintain control of the helicopter as it pitched over and rolled down the steep hill. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the certificated commercial pilot was seriously injured. The two passengers received minor injuries.
The operator reported that the helicopter had been conducting logging operations throughout the day. At the end of the day, the helicopter landed on the narrow pad to pick up and transport personnel from the logging site. As the helicopter was standing with the engine running, one passenger was strapped into her seat, the other passenger was just boarding, when a loud bang was heard. The helicopter suddenly started to spin around and the one boarding passenger was thrown out of the helicopter. The pilot was unable to maintain control, and the helicopter travelled over the edge of the pad and rolled down the hill.
It was later found that the main rotor blade struck a tree stump that was in close proximity to the pad and approximately five feet, two inches above the skids.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N351RM
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA 315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2502
- Airframe hours
- 14,550
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 858 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Burr, James B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 21, 1993 · 61 hours before
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,900 total · 55 in this make and model · 3,800 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N351RM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.