Aerospatiale AS355F1 N217ES
11 June 2003 · Madison, Florida, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 11 June 2003 at about 17:29 local time, a Aerospatiale AS355F1 registered N217ES, operated by C J Systems Aviation Group, was involved in an accident near Madison, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 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 17:29
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Madison, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.4717, -83.4200
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS355F1
- Registration
- N217ES
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- C J Systems Aviation Group
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Madison → Perry
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA03FA120
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot in command's diverted attention and loss of control while attempting to takeoff, which resulted in the main rotor blades being dragged, and the helicopter rolling over.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that after the patient had been loaded on the helicopter, and the other crewmembers had secured themselves inside, he picked the helicopter up into a 3-foot hover, glanced at the gauges, and then looked up again and the helicopter rolled hard to the right with the blades impacting the ground. He said the main rotor blades struck the ground the helicopter rotated 90 degrees to the left, and came to rest on its right side. A flight crew member in the back of the helicopter said that after they had all been secured for takeoff, she looked out through the right window and advised "all clear." She further stated that the helicopter then lifted off, and immediately started falling, with the rotor blades impacting the ground, which caused it to fall. A witness stated that he observed the helicopter lift off the ground, perform a quarter turn to the left, facing north, and hover for a few seconds, before starting to roll to the right side, which immediately caused the main rotors to strike the ground, and the helicopter crashed on its right side. Examination of the helicopter and its systems did not reveal the existence of any preaccident anomalies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerospatiale AS355F1 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Oct 2001 | Aerospatiale AS355F1 | Rosebud, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 2008 | Aerospatiale AS355F1 | New York, New York, United States | Liberty Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1991 | Aerospatiale AS355F1 | Billings, Montana, United States | Omni Flight Helicopters, Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 2003 | Cessna 172RG | Key West, Florida, United States | Avion Jet Center, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-25-235 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | Barry Aviation Florida, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2003 | Champion AERONCA 7BCM | Pahokee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 2003 | Airbus A330 | Miami, Florida, United States | Edelweiss Air AG | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 2003 | Samual G Dasilva VELOCITY | Sebastian, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2003 | Piper PA-31 | Clearwater, Florida, United States | Bruce T. Kendell | Fatal | 2 |