American Eurocopter AS350B3 N530H
27 October 2020 · Silver City, New Mexico, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 27 October 2020 at about 05:37 local time, a American Eurocopter AS350B3 registered N530H, operated by Air Methods Corp, was involved in an accident near Silver City, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 05:37
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Silver City, New Mexico, United States
- Nearest airport
- Whiskey Creek Airport (94E)
- Coordinates
- 32.7694, -108.2117
- Aircraft
- American Eurocopter AS350B3
- Registration
- N530H
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2008
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Air Methods Corp
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Silver City → Silver City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- WPR21LA027
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient altitude above terrain while operating in reduced visibility due to snow showers.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to relocate the helicopter to a hangar at a nearby airport before a winter storm impacted the area. The pilot took off in moderate visual meteorological conditions and moderate rain; but as the helicopter neared the airport, the precipitation turned from rain to snow. The pilot turned final about 1 mile north of the airport when the precipitation increased, and the visibility reduced. The helicopter impacted terrain about 200 yards north of the runway surface in a mostly level attitude before it rolled onto its left side. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other American Eurocopter AS350B3 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Mar 2024 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | Fort Morgan, Colorado, United States | Med-Trans Corp | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2024 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | Potrero, California, United States | Department of Homeland Security | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jun 2025 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | San Luis, Arizona, United States | US Department of Homeland Security | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 2025 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States | Air Methods LLC | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 2015 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | Folsom, California, United States | Placer County Sheriff's Department | No injuries | - |
| 18 May 2014 | American Eurocopter AS350B3 | Peach Springs, Arizona, United States | Papillon Airways Inc | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 2020 | Cessna T210K | Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States | Traveler Holdings LLC | No injuries | - |
| 4 Mar 2020 | Flight CTLS | Encino, New Mexico, United States | Mauldin Aviation LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2020 | Piper PA 30 | Vaughn, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2020 | Van's RV4 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | Bishop Ag Air LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Apr 2020 | Piper PA-32RT-300T | Angostura, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2020 | Van's RV 6 | Clovis, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |