ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 168206
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 1 August 2014 |
| Time: | 13:00 |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350D AStar |
| Owner/operator: | Aris Helicopters Ltd |
| Registration: | N3597T |
| MSN: | 1126 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8541 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 1B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Buck Island Lake, South Lake Tahoe, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Tahoma, CA (N/A) |
| Tahoma, CA (N/A) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was being used to transport passengers and equipment for an off-road automobile event in a remote mountainous area. The airline transport pilot picked up two passengers, and the subsequent 3-minute-long inbound flight and landing into the wind at the helispot were uneventful. The pilot reported that, after a third passenger boarded, he initiated a vertical climb to clear trees. He reported that he expected and felt a "bump" as the helicopter encountered a headwind above the trees, and he then began to initiate a left turn for a downwind departure. As the turn progressed, the helicopter rapidly descended back to the ground, and, unable to maintain altitude, the pilot attempted to ditch the helicopter into trees and down-sloping terrain. The helicopter struck a rock slab and rolled onto its side, during which time both the pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries. Postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and both the pilot and operator reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
The pilot attributed the loss of lift to a wind gust; however, the closest weather reporting station, about 14 miles away, reported light wind. Further, a weather simulation was performed to estimate wind and turbulence conditions in the area of the accident. The results revealed a low potential for turbulence with wind, which closely matched the conditions reported by the weather station, at the time and location of the accident.
The fuel load could not be definitely established; however, given the helicopter’s estimated gross weight, it was likely operating very close to or slightly above its hovering ceiling. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot attempted to hover the helicopter out of ground effect at an altitude above its hovering ceiling, which resulted in it settling with power.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control due to settling with power while maneuvering for takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Aug-2014 08:44 | gerard57 | Added |
| 02-Aug-2014 16:33 | Geno | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 20-Aug-2014 06:21 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Aug-2016 17:57 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Narrative] |
| 30-Nov-2016 20:49 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 30-Nov-2017 19:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation