S N I A S AS350B N3597T

Summary

On 1 August 2014 at about 20:00 local time, a S N I A S AS350B registered N3597T, operated by Heli-Flite Inc, was involved in an accident near Tahoma, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 August 2014 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tahoma, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lakeshore (NONE)

Coordinates

39.0047, -120.2556

Aircraft

S N I A S AS350B

Registration

N3597T

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Heli-Flite Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tahoma → Tahoma

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14FA324

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's loss of helicopter control due to settling with power while maneuvering for takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was being used to transport passengers and equipment for an off-road automobile event in a remote mountainous area. The airline transport pilot picked up two passengers, and the subsequent 3-minute-long inbound flight and landing into the wind at the helispot were uneventful. The pilot reported that, after a third passenger boarded, he initiated a vertical climb to clear trees. He reported that he expected and felt a "bump" as the helicopter encountered a headwind above the trees, and he then began to initiate a left turn for a downwind departure. As the turn progressed, the helicopter rapidly descended back to the ground, and, unable to maintain altitude, the pilot attempted to ditch the helicopter into trees and down-sloping terrain. The helicopter struck a rock slab and rolled onto its side, during which time both the pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries. Postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and both the pilot and operator reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures. The pilot attributed the loss of lift to a wind gust; however, the closest weather reporting station, about 14 miles away, reported light wind. Further, a weather simulation was performed to estimate wind and turbulence conditions in the area of the accident. The results revealed a low potential for turbulence with wind, which closely matched the conditions reported by the weather station, at the time and location of the accident. The fuel load could not be definitely established; however, given the helicopter's estimated gross weight, it was likely operating very close to or slightly above its hovering ceiling. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot attempted to hover the helicopter out of ground effect at an altitude above its hovering ceiling, which resulted in it settling with power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.