Eurocopter AS 350 B3 N103LN
25 September 2009 · Tucson, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 September 2009 at about 01:43 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B3 registered N103LN, operated by Air Methods Corp, was involved in an accident near Tucson, Arizona, United States. 4 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.
The record
- Date
- at 01:43
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tucson, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- St Mary's Helistop (65AZ)
- Coordinates
- 32.2283, -110.9994
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS 350 B3
- Registration
- N103LN
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Air Methods Corp
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Arivaca → Tuscon
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- WPR09FA464
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The loss of directional 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 was in the final phase of the landing approach. About 5 feet over the hospital landing pad, the helicopter started to yaw left in an uncommanded fashion. The pilot countered the yaw with right anti torque pedal, which had no effect. He then rapidly lowered the collective and the helicopter landed hard and came to rest facing the opposite direction. Inspection of the helicopter revealed buckled skin on the tail boom approximately 2 feet aft of where the tail boom attaches to the rear structure. Hospital surveillance video captured the landing and showed the helicopter approach the landing spot. The helicopter then yawed left and landed facing the direction it came from. The event spanned about 4 seconds from the beginning of the yaw to the landing. The pilot stated that the winds were out of the west at 2-3 knots. Winds reported at the nearest weather reporting facility (6 miles to the southeast) at the time were 350 degrees at 7 knots. Examination of the helicopter control system revealed no anomalies and all system components functioned appropriately when tested.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Eurocopter AS-350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Mar 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 B2 | Peach Springs, Arizona, United States | Papillon Airways | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 B3 | Marana, Arizona, United States | Air Methods | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jan 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 BA | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Schuman Aviation Company Ltd | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 B2 | Morgantown, West Virginia, United States | Air Methods Corporation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 B2 | Loris, South Carolina, United States | Omniflight Helicopter Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 2009 | Eurocopter AS 350 B2 | Lancaster, California, United States | City of Los Angeles LAPD Air Support | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 2009 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | New Mexico Flying Eagle Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172E | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 2009 | De Havilland DHC-8 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Mesa Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 2009 | Piper PA-24-250 | Black Canyon City, Arizona, United States | Ralph Smith | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Dec 2009 | Cessna 182P | Payson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Mar 2009 | Cosmos PHASE 2 | Salome, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |