Eurocopter AS350 B-2 C-FBTW

Summary

On 12 August 2001 at about 20:30 local time, a Eurocopter AS350 B-2 registered C-FBTW was involved in an accident near Cody, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 August 2001 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Cody, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

44.6153, -109.1156

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS350 B-2

Registration

C-FBTW

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cody → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01LA145

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning for an off site landing, which resulted in failure of the tail rotor drive shaft due to entanglement of his long-line in the drive shaft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing an off-site landing with a long-line. The line became entangled in brush, and subsequenmtly, the line became entangled in the tail rotor drive shaft. The tail rotor drive shaft failed, and the pilot performed an autorotation impacting equipment on the ground. During the landing sequence, the tail boom and horizontal stabilizer were bent, and the bottom of the helicopter's fuselage was penetrated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.