ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 237858
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: | Saturday 11 July 2020 |
| Time: | 06:32 LT |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 355F1 Ecureuil II |
| Owner/operator: | Aircam National Helicopter Services Inc |
| Registration: | N708AC |
| MSN: | 5167 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1982 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11210 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls Royce |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Rifle, Garfield County, CO -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Rifle-Garfield County Airport, CO (RIL) |
| Rifle, CO | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot of the helicopter was maneuvering at a low altitude to conduct his first aerial observation flight of transmission/power lines of the day. The passenger, who was a camera operator for the flight, reported that the pilot began a hover over the electrical substation while they discussed a plan for the flight. While in a low altitude hover, the helicopter began swaying left and right, then spinning in a counterclockwise (left) direction. Shortly thereafter, the helicopter impacted the terrain. The pilot had no recollection of the accident. Witness observations indicated that the helicopter's final impact was immediately followed by a postcrash fire that destroyed the helicopter. Postaccident examination of the helicopter and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The helicopter was operating at a gross weight of 5,040 lbs, and the maximum allowable gross weight is 5,291 lbs. The calculated density altitude was 6,566 ft mean sea level. The accident helicopter's flight characteristics at the time of the accident would have included slow airspeed, a high-power setting, that were all conducive to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE), thus it is likely that the loss of control was the direct result of LTE.
Probable Cause: A loss of tail rotor effectiveness, the pilot's subsequent loss of helicopter control, and collision with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN20LA273
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 6 December 2009 | N548SA | Heliusa Airways Inc | 0 | Temple Bar, Arizona | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jul-2020 19:45 | Geno | Added |
| 11-Jul-2020 19:45 | Geno | Updated [Phase, Nature] |
| 11-Jul-2020 19:53 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 12-Jul-2020 13:54 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 12-Jul-2020 13:54 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 13-Jul-2020 18:22 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jul-2020 07:23 | RobertMB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2020 12:01 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Mar-2021 21:15 | rudy | Updated [Nature] |
| 27-Jun-2022 12:32 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 17-Nov-2023 18:37 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
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