Eurocopter AS350-B2 N613TV
27 July 2007 · Phoenix, Arizona, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 27 July 2007 at about 19:46 local time, a Eurocopter AS350-B2 registered N613TV was involved in an accident near Phoenix, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350-B2
- Registration
- N613TV
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Scottsdale → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX07MA231
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
Both pilots' failure to see and avoid the other helicopter. Contributing to this failure was the pilots' responsibility to perform reporting and visual tracking duties to support their station's ENG operation. Contributing to the accident was the lack of formal procedures for Phoenix-area ENG pilots to follow regarding the conduct of these operations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/02. On July 27, 2007, about 1246 mountain standard time, two electronic news gathering (ENG) helicopters, N613TV and N215TV, collided in midair while maneuvering in Phoenix, Arizona. The Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopters, from local channels 3 and 15, had been covering a police pursuit. N613TV, the channel 3 helicopter, was operated by KTVK-TV, and N215TV, the channel 15 helicopter, was operated by U.S. Helicopters, Inc., under contract to KNXV-TV. Each helicopter had a pilot-reporter and a photographer on board. The occupants on board both helicopters were killed, and the helicopters were destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The helicopters were operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plans had been filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurocopter AS350-B2 | N613TV | - | Destroyed |
| Eurocopter AS350-B2 | N215TV | - | Destroyed |
Other Eurocopter AS350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 2009 | Eurocopter AS350 | Vermillion 229, United States | Era Helicopters LLC | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2009 | Eurocopter AS350 B2 | Némisko, Canada | Abitibi Helicopters Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 2009 | Eurocopter AS350 | Barcelona, Spain | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Jan 2004 | Eurocopter AS350 B3 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | Petroleum Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2010 | Eurocopter AS350-B2 | La Monte, Missouri, United States | Air Methods Corporation | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Jan 2010 | Eurocopter AS350 B3 | Reno, Nevada, United States | Air Methods | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 2007 | Grumman American AA-5A | Benson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2007 | Piper PA-24-250 | Winslow, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 2007 | Piper PA-28-140 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Brian K. Brooks | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jun 2007 | Cessna 340A | Chandler, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2007 | Waltz SONEX WAIEX | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Wendel W. Waltz | No injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 2007 | Cessna 172S | Prescott, Arizona, United States | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott | No injuries | - |