Aerospatiale AS350B N264BH
21 November 2005 · Homestead, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 21 November 2005 at about 01:48 local time, a Aerospatiale AS350B registered N264BH was involved in an accident near Homestead, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one died. 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 01:48
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Homestead, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Motorsports Complex VIP Helipo (VI2)
- Coordinates
- 25.4483, -80.4131
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350B
- Registration
- N264BH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Key Largo → Homestead
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Bright
- NTSB number
- MIA06FA022
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of both pilot's to maintain visual lookout resulting in the mid-air collision. A factor in the accident was the failure of the AS-350B pilot to follow approach procedures suggested in the Speedway Heliport Operations Manual. Findings in the investigation were the intentional operation of the EC 130 B4 helicopter by the pilot with known deficiencies in equipment (inoperative landing light), and failure of Speedway Heliport personnel to: 1) conduct a safety briefing in advance of the race, 2) flight test temporary lighting to see whether any issues exist, and 3) require a single point entry and reporting point for approach to the heliport.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Both helicopters were on approach to the Speedway Heliport at night when they collided. The EC 130 B4 helicopter was on a long straight-in final flying eastbound, and the AS-350B helicopter was turning from right base onto final approach to the east. The AS-350 helicopter was slightly above and to the right of the EC 130 B4 helicopter; the main rotor blades of the EC 130 B4 helicopter contacted the left skid of the AS-350B helicopter. The EC 130 B4 helicopter descended vertically, while the AS-350B helicopter landed on grass at the heliport. Numerous witnesses saw external lights illuminated on both helicopters before the collision. The position lights and taxi light of the EC 130 B4 helicopter were on at the time of impact; the landing light was previously burned out. The position lights, strobe light, and search light of the AS-350B helicopter were reportedly on at the time of the collision. The individual providing VFR advisory service advised that before the collision, he observed the AS-350B helicopter, but never saw the EC 130 B4 helicopter. Both pilots had established two-way communication with the individual providing VFR advisory service on the unauthorized frequency being utilized, but the pilot of the EC 130 B4 helicopter reportedly did not provide a position report on the initial contact. The pilot of the AS-350B helicopter reportedly never heard communications from the pilot of the EC 130 B4 helicopter, and he did not see the other helicopter before the collision. Pyrotechnics occurred immediately before the collision in the area of the collision. Impact damage to the power supply of the upper strobe light for the EC 130 B4 helicopter precluded consistent operation during postaccident testing; the strobe light operationally tested satisfactory. The heliport operational procedures did not specify a single-point entry, nor reporting points, but did state that every effort shall be made to arrive via the east/west oriented canal that was located south of the heliport. Safety briefings suggested in Advisory Circular (AC) 00-61 were not conducted, nor was flight-testing to verify whether there were any issues related to installation of temporary lighting.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospatiale AS350B | N264BH | - | Substantial |
| Eurocopter France EC 130 B4 | N130HS | HeliFlight, Inc. | Substantial |
Other Aerospatiale AS350B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Oct 2005 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Kingman, Arizona, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 2000 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Van Nuys, California, United States | Helinet Corporation | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 1999 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Grand Canyon Pk, Arizona, United States | Silverado Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2012 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Camp Verde, Arizona, United States | Chopper II LLC | Fatal | 4 |
| 30 Oct 1997 | Aerospatiale AS350B | Frankfort, Illinois, United States | Illinios State Police | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2005 | Shorethose KITFOX SERIES 5 | Cresent City, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 2005 | Beechcraft K35 | Leesburg, Florida, United States | Bryan Yuridel | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Apr 2005 | Beechcraft BONANZA | South Bay, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Feb 2005 | Beechcraft 35-C33 | Clearwater, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Mar 2005 | Air Tractor AT-602 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Gentry's Flying Service, LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 2005 | Cessna 172 | Kissimmee, Florida, United States | Orlando Flight Training | No injuries | - |