Eurocopter France AS 350 B3 N846BP
25 November 2003 · Yuma, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 November 2003 at about 02:00 local time, a Eurocopter France AS 350 B3 registered N846BP was involved in an accident near Yuma, Arizona, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 02:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Yuma, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Yuma MCAS International (YUM)
- Coordinates
- 32.6550, -114.6067
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter France AS 350 B3
- Registration
- N846BP
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Yuma → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- LAX04TA052
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The malfunction of the rotor drive system due to improper maintenance, which resulted in the uncoupling of the drive shaft during takeoff-initial climb. A factor associated with the accident is the undertorqued drive system bolts.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter encountered a total loss of drive to the rotor system a few seconds after takeoff, about 20 feet above the ground. The helicopter touched down hard and was substantially damaged. Company mechanics had performed maintenance on the helicopter that involved handling of the rotor drive shaft and a flex coupling. The flex coupling is normally secured with three bolts and self locking nuts. The manufacturer's maintenance procedure requires that during installation, the nuts are torqued and then cotter pins are inserted. During the wreckage examination, the bolts were found sheared, and no evidence of cotter pins were found. According to the manufacturer, even if the cotter pins are not installed, if the bolts are adequately torqued, they should not become loose.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Eurocopter France AS-350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2003 | Eurocopter France AS 350 B2 | Riverside, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 2003 | Eurocopter France AS 350 B3 | Guayaramerim, Brazil | Eagle Jets LLC | Fatal | 2 |
| 9 Sep 2003 | Eurocopter France AS 350 BA | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2002 | Eurocopter France AS-350-B2 | Norfolk, Nebraska, United States | Rocky Mountain Helicopters | Fatal | 3 |
| 26 Jun 2002 | Eurocopter France AS-350-B2 | Denali Park, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2001 | Eurocopter France AS-350-B2 | Powder River, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2003 | Piper PA-23-250 | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Cessna 172S | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Angel Air | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 2003 | Piper PA-28-181 | Bullhead City, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2003 | Ercoupe 415-C | Saint Johns, Arizona, United States | Robert Greenwade | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2003 | Piper PA24 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2003 | Cessna 150C | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |