Aerospatiale AS 355F1 N53LH
18 August 2001 · Vinton, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 August 2001 at about 21:25 local time, a Aerospatiale AS 355F1 registered N53LH was involved in an accident near Vinton, California, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. 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 21:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Vinton, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.7096, -120.2108
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS 355F1
- Registration
- N53LH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Vinton → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX01LA283
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing site, which caused "brown-out" conditions during departure liftoff and resulted in loss of control of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the med-vac helicopter reported that, during liftoff at the remote site, he encountered a loss of visual reference due to a "brown out" condition created by blowing dust at 3 feet agl. He then attempted to land the helicopter without any visual reference; however, the right skid contacted the ground first. A rolling motion to the left was created and, after the left skid contacted the ground, a dynamic rollover ensued. The helicopter came to rest on its left side.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerospatiale AS-355F1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2000 | Aerospatiale AS 355F1 | Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 7 |
| 6 Dec 2009 | Aerospatiale AS 355F1 | Temple Bar, Arizona, United States | Heliusa Airways Inc | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 1992 | Aerospatiale AS-355F1 | Lansing, Michigan, United States | Corporate Jets Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 2010 | Aerospatiale AS 355F1 | Pikes Peak, Colorado, United States | Aircam National Helicopter Services Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 2012 | Aerospatiale AS-355F1 | Great Guana Cay, Bahamas | Pioneer Caribbean Logistics LTD | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Mar 2012 | Aerospatiale AS 355F1 | Makakilo City, Hawaii, United States | TGR Helicopters | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2001 | Hughes 269C | Tracy, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 2001 | Cessna R172K | Mammoth Lakes, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2001 | Piper PA-46-350P | Stockton, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 2001 | Jones RV-6A | Inyokern, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 May 2001 | Cessna 177B | Santa Maria, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 2001 | Cessna 140 | San Jose, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |