Aerospatiale AS 355F1 N548SA

Summary

On 6 December 2009 at about 18:30 local time, a Aerospatiale AS 355F1 registered N548SA, operated by Heliusa Airways Inc, was involved in an accident near Temple Bar, Arizona, United States. 7 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

6 December 2009 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Temple Bar, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

36.0203, -114.3347

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS 355F1

Registration

N548SA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

2

Operator

Heliusa Airways Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Grand Canyon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA075

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention during the preflight inspection.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after arriving to work late he began his preflight inspection on the helicopter. As the pilot was inspecting the left engine, the refueling truck arrived and the pilot lowered the left engine cowling door and tended to the refueling of the helicopter. The pilot said that following the refueling of the helicopter, he continued his preflight inspection and subsequently boarded the passengers “not realizing I left the engine cowling ‘unlatched’.” While en route to the flight’s intended destination, the pilot heard a “pop” followed by feedback in the cyclic control. The pilot was informed by the pilot of a second helicopter that the left engine cowling appeared to be open and partially separated. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to the desert surface and landed without further incident. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that two of the three main rotor blades were damaged. One main rotor blade exhibited a one-inch-long gouge about one-quarter of an inch in depth near the blade root. A portion of the left engine cowling was separated and not located.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.