Aviation Crash Map

Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3 N852BP

17 October 2014 · Lordsburg, New Mexico, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 17 October 2014 at about 18:45 local time, a Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3 registered N852BP, operated by US Customs and Border Protection, was involved in an accident near Lordsburg, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one 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 18:45
Classification
Accident
Location
Lordsburg, New Mexico, United States
Coordinates
31.5697, -108.8739
Aircraft
Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3
Registration
N852BP
Category
Helicopter
Year built
2002
Operating rule
Public Use
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Deming → Deming
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
CEN15TA017

People

1 person had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 1 0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate drift control and skid clearance from the ground during takeoff, which resulted in a dynamic rollover when the aft right skid contacted a rock.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter departed from level terrain and then drifted backward. The aft right skid then contacted a rock that was embedded in the ground, which resulted in the helicopter pivoting around the rock, the rotor blades impacting the ground, and the helicopter rolling over onto its right side. Examination of wreckage revealed no anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. A review of data from the vehicle engine multifunction display revealed that all of the recorded failures were associated with the ground impact and that no preimpact anomalies occurred. The evidence is consistent with a dynamic rollover event.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Airbus Helicopters AS-350 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
28 Aug 2014 Airbus Helicopters AS 350 B3
N991SD
Hemet, California, United States County of Riverside Minor injuries -

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All 170,864 records in United States