Aerospatiale 350B N696CH

Summary

On 13 May 2002 at about 23:00 local time, a Aerospatiale 350B registered N696CH was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia, United States. 2 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.

Date

13 May 2002 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gainesville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Lee Gilmer Memorial (GVL)

Coordinates

34.2769, -83.8331

Aircraft

Aerospatiale 350B

Registration

N696CH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gainesville → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL02LA097

Nobody was injured.

The check airman’s failure to follow prescribed procedures that resulted in the lost of control and subsequent in-flight collision with the terrain. A factor was gusting wind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter collided with terrain during a demonstrated hydraulic servo-control system failure. The check airman brought the helicopter to a hover with hydraulics off. The check airman experienced a gust of wind which pitched and yawed the helicopter onto the right side of the fuselage. A Review of the Eurocopter training syllabus for the AS 350 B1/B2, states in simulated hydraulic servo-control system failures, the "HYD TEST" button should be used when conducting this procedure; and discussion and/or demonstration should be performed in cruise flight at approximately 90 knots. The Gainesville 1900 weather observation reported visibility 10 statue miles, wind direction 310 degrees, wind speed 17 knots, gust 23 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.