S N I A S SE 3130 ALOUETTE II N31330

Summary

On 29 January 2001 at about 23:30 local time, a S N I A S SE 3130 ALOUETTE II registered N31330 was involved in an accident near Driggs, Idaho, United States. 3 people were 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

29 January 2001 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Driggs, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Reed Memorial (U59)

Coordinates

43.7478, -111.0833

Aircraft

S N I A S SE 3130 ALOUETTE II

Registration

N31330

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Driggs → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA043

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the flight was uneventful until the landing. When the helicopter touched down on the ramp, the cyclic control began to shake "very violently" in his hand along with the helicopter starting to move forward and aft. The pilot thought that it might be ground resonance and lifted off to a hover. The condition worsened, and the pilot increased the hover. The helicopter began to oscillate and the pilot could not stabilize the movement. The pilot then turned the helicopter to the left then back to the right to verify the location of a fuel truck. When the truck was locate, the pilot lowered the collective to land. The right rear skid contacted the surface first and the helicopter rocked forward and to the right. The helicopter rolled to the right, coming to rest on its right side. Post-accident inspection of the main rotor dampers found no mechanical failures or malfunctions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.