Eurocopter AS-350-B2 N6100R

Summary

On 17 March 1999 at about 19:02 local time, a Eurocopter AS-350-B2 registered N6100R, operated by Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Eugene Is. 193. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 March 1999 at 19:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Eugene Is. 193

Nearest airport

Eugene Island 193 (193)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS-350-B2

Registration

N6100R

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Eugene Is. 177

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW99FA094

2 people died.

the loss of control as a result of the spring-steel extension becoming entangled with the hatch door handle during takeoff. A contributing factor was the flat design of the spring-steel extension.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that as soon as he lifted the helicopter off the platform, he 'felt that something wasn't normal.' He added that he was '2 feet off the deck and turning to the left at the same time.' The surviving passenger stated that it felt as if 'the rear end of the aircraft either got pushed or pulled down.' He added that the nose pitched up violently and then the helicopter bounced (from side-to-side) on the platform. The pilot realized that he did not have enough room to land, and pulled up on the collective in an attempt to get away from the platform. The helicopter then rolled inverted and descended into the water on the north side of the platform. Examination of the platform revealed that the hatch door located on the west end of the platform had a handle that was bent and deformed. On the bottom side of the deformed handle there was a rolled gouge of metal. Under the gouge there was a paint chip. The helicopter's left spring-steel extension had the paint scraped off the upper outboard corner along the length of the extension. Paint analysis and geometric evaluation of the handle and the extension revealed that the paint chip found on the handle and the paint on the spring-steel extension were similar, and that the deformation on the handle coincided with the placement of the extension under the handle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.