Aerospatiale AS350-B2 N295EW
15 March 2005 · Valdez, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 March 2005 at about 12:30 local time, a Aerospatiale AS350-B2 registered N295EW, operated by Last Frontier Air Ventures Ltd, was involved in an accident near Valdez, Alaska, United States. One person was 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 12:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Valdez, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.1344, -146.2333
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350-B2
- Registration
- N295EW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Last Frontier Air Ventures Ltd
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Valdez → Valdez
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC05CA071
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an object while hover taxiing, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking a sign.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The solo commercial certificated helicopter pilot was repositioning the helicopter in a parking lot that was being used to load skiers. As the pilot hovered the helicopter, the "door ajar" light illuminated on the enunciator panel, which distracted the pilot's attention momentarily. The helicopter drifted aft, and the main rotor blades struck a sign post. A postaccident inspection of the main rotor blades revealed damage to two of the three main rotor blades. On April 25, it was determined by a repair station that one main rotor blade was unairworthy, and could not be repaired. The operator indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aerospatiale AS350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 2005 | Aerospatiale AS350-D | Falkner, Mississippi, United States | Air Methods Corporation | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Jan 2006 | Aerospatiale AS350-B2 | Eagle Pass, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 May 2006 | Aerospatiale AS350-B3 | Santa Teresa, New Mexico, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 2002 | Aerospatiale AS350-B | Girdwood, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 2002 | Aerospatiale AS350 BA | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Oct 2009 | Aerospatiale AS350 | Cusco, Peru | Coyotair S.A.C. | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 2005 | Cessna 180 | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Sep 2005 | Bellanca 7GCBC | Nenana, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Apr 2005 | Cessna 180 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2005 | Piper PA-18 | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 2005 | Cessna 207A | Excursion Inlet, Alaska, United States | Wings of Alaska | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 2005 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Koyukuk, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |