- Date
- October 26, 2020, 23:37 local (Oct 27, 2020, 05:37 UTC)
- Place
- Silver City, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N530HAmerican Eurocopter AS350B3
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20201026022149A
- Case key
- 102200
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient altitude above terrain while operating in reduced visibility due to snow showers.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to relocate the helicopter to a hangar at a nearby airport before a winter storm impacted the area. The pilot took off in moderate visual meteorological conditions and moderate rain; but as the helicopter neared the airport, the precipitation turned from rain to snow. The pilot turned final about 1 mile north of the airport when the precipitation increased, and the visibility reduced. The helicopter impacted terrain about 200 yards north of the runway surface in a mostly level attitude before it rolled onto its left side. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N530H
- Reported as
- American Eurocopter AS350B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4553
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 7,706
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 2B1, 847 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Methods Corp
- Registered owner
- Air Methods Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 26, 2020 · 175 hours before
- Departed
- NM85 · Silver City, NM
- Destination
- 94E · Silver City, NM
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 94E · Whiskey Creek Airport, runway 17, 5,400 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 53
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 1,956 in this make and model · 4,100 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 110° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- SVC, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.