ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 345438
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| Date: | Friday 8 September 2023 |
| Time: | 20:28 |
| Type: |  Airbus Helicopters H125 |
| Owner/operator: | WorldWind Helicopters Inc |
| Registration: | N350WW |
| MSN: | 2228 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1989 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Silverton, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Arlington Municipal Airport, WA (AWO/KAWO) |
| Silverton, WA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that he was landing the helicopter on the shoreline of a lake, during low light, dusk conditions. During the approach to the shoreline, he began maneuvering to slow the helicopter down and descend over the open water and that his attention was fully outside of the helicopter, when he saw a light from the intended landing zone get brighter, and the area around the helicopter suddenly got darker. The helicopter subsequently struck the surface of the lake, rolled inverted, and sank in about 80 ft. of water. The pilot and the passengers exited the helicopter and were rescued by a good Samaritan before it sank. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor drive system and tail boom assembly.
The pilot reported that there are no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain visual reference and altitude while maneuvering over a lake during dusk conditions, which resulted in the helicopter impacting water.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193047
https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/6/41260_1551624282.jpg (photo)
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Sep-2023 14:59 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 15-Sep-2023 15:07 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 15-Sep-2023 18:43 | Anon. | Updated |
| 08-Dec-2023 14:13 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
| 08-Dec-2023 14:20 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities] |
| 02-May-2024 11:02 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative, Photo] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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