Aerospatiale SA315B N2128Z
17 July 2001 · Cody, Wyoming, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 17 July 2001 at about 21:15 local time, a Aerospatiale SA315B registered N2128Z, operated by Geo-Seis Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Cody, Wyoming, 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 21:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cody, Wyoming, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.6653, -109.1350
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA315B
- Registration
- N2128Z
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Geo-Seis Helicopters Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Cody → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA125
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
the failure of the turbine assembly due to an over temperature condition. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was starting his 27th move of geophysical drilling equipment for the day. He was pulling in power to lift (long line) an engine and a compressor when he heard two loud "pops." He lost engine power, but did not release the long line because his ground helper was underneath the load. He moved forward a short distance, and autorotated to a 45 degree hill side. The aircraft landed and immediately rolled on its side with the mast pointing down slope which stopped the rolling. The ground helper said that he saw "fire shooting out of the tailpipe" as the helicopter descended towards the earth. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that all the turbine blades had experienced an extreme over temperature condition. The density altitude was computed to be 9,205 feet.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerospatiale SA315B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2000 | Aerospatiale SA315B | Springfield, Georgia, United States | Southern States Cooperative | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2002 | Aerospatiale SA315B | Estes Park, Colorado, United States | Geo-Seis Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Aug 1998 | Aerospatiale SA315B | Naturita, Colorado, United States | Geo-Seis | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2005 | Aerospatiale SA315B | Duchesne, Utah, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Jan 1997 | Aerospatiale SA315B | Whiteville, North Carolina, United States | Gold Kist, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1996 | Aerospatiale SA315B | La Peruanita, Peru | Helica del Peru, S.a. | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 2001 | Robinson R22 BETA | Buffalo, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2001 | Cessna 206 | Casper, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 2001 | Beechcraft A36 | Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States | Joe G. Litzelfelner | Fatal | 4 |
| 2 Sep 2001 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States | Omni Aviation Services | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2001 | Aerospatiale AS350BA | Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States | Crew Concepts, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2001 | Bell 205A-1 | Jackson, Wyoming, United States | U.S Forest Service | No injuries | - |