# NTSB WPR22LA182: Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3, N851AL, Christmas Valley, OR, May 19, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: May 18, 2022, 17:33 local (May 19, 2022, 00:33 UTC) - Place: Christmas Valley, OR · Airport Environment - Coordinates: 43.23625, -120.66469 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.2362&lon=-120.6647&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 4 serious - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 105103 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR22LA182 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105103/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105103 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA182 ## Probable cause The pilot’s inability to maintain control in high wind conditions while repositioning during a landing attempt, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=868096A), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=868096A), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=868096A), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the accident pilot, after transferring a patient from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Bend, Oregon, he received a request from his dispatch to collect a patient in Christmas Valley, Oregon. He reviewed weather information from stations surrounding the destination as there was no local weather reporting facility at the destination. The pilot recalled that the expected winds were from the northwest at 15-20 kts sustained, and gusting to 30 kts, but were acceptable for the flight. After a preflight inspection he departed on the accident flight with three flight crewmembers. They did not experience any significant weather while enroute to their destination and the helicopter was operating within its normal limitations. The pilot approached the airport by entering the airport traffic pattern from the north for a landing to the west as the winds were from the west/northwest. He recalled that the windspeeds at the time of arrival were approximately 15-20 kts and gusting between 25-30 kts. After he became established on final approach he sidestepped and approached a parallel taxiway. He slowly taxied while looking for the air ambulance they were scheduled to meet. The pilot reported that he was monitoring the windsock during this time, but observed the helicopter handling well with no indication of winds that would exceed the helicopter’s limitations at the time. Once he identified the landing site he lined the helicopter with the landing pad and began a descent while noting several structures nearby that were providing protection from the wind. At this point he performed a right pedal turn from about 3 ft above ground level to position the left door towards the ambulance for the pickup, consistent with the operator’s protocol. The pedal turn went smoothly; however, as the helicopter touched down it was forced forward rapidly. The pilot reacted by increasing collective and applying aft cyclic to climb the helicopter and avoid surrounding hazards. He lowered collective when the helicopter was about 30 ft above ground level and held aft cyclic, but the helicopter began to spin to the left and he was unable to control the helicopter. The pilot then reduced power to IDLE using the throttle twist grip and could not recount anything further. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. He opined that he encountered a hard wind from the rear. A witness estimated that the wind was about 50 mph (43 kts) at the time of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N851AL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N851AL-2023-08-16), registration cancelled 2023-08-16, S/N 8647, built 2019 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AS 350B3 - Registry model: [Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3](https://openairdocs.org/model/airbus-helicopters-as-350b3) (registry code 868096A) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Safran ARRIEL-2D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/safran-arriel-2d) (registry code 59997, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 8647 - Year built: 2019 - Airframe hours: 1074 - Engines: Safran Arriel 2D 728 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 135 - Operator: Med-Trans, doing business as Airlink critical care transport - Registered owner: Tvpx Aircraft Solutions Inc Trustee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, May 17, 2022, 411 hours before - Departed: 54OR, Bend, OR - Destination: Same as departure - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: 62S, Christmas Valley Airport, runway 07/25, 5,200 × 60 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Video recording device, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 40; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 28, 2022; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 2,083 total, 15 in this make and model, 1,806 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 220° at 18 knots, gusting 25 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: KBDN, 57 nm away - METAR: METAR KBDN 190010Z AUTO 22018G25KT 10SM CLR 17/M01 A3011 RMK AO2= ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20220518004889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220518004889A), May 18, 2022: Airbus Helicopters AS 350B3, Christmas Valle, OR, Destroyed. N851AL [privacy data omitted] team accepted a patient transport request at 1637HRS (pacific) on may 18, 2022, departing from st. charles medical center in… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105103. 2.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14204696&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 45 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14133274&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Pilot%20statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Witness statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 158 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14133034&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Witness%20Statement%201_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photographs (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 973 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14132762&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Photographs-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.