Eurocopter AS 350 N354PA

Summary

On 6 September 2020 at about 17:05 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 registered N354PA, operated by Pathfinder Aviation, was involved in an accident near Fort Greely, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

6 September 2020 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Greely, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

63.9833, -145.7668

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS 350

Registration

N354PA

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2000

Engines

1

Operator

Pathfinder Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Delta Junction → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC20LA089

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the door lock due to interference between the door and a cargo box.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight, at about 700 ft above ground level and 110 kts, a “sudden loud bang” and associated left yaw was experienced as the sliding left side cabin door vacated the helicopter from the closed position. The door impacted a main rotor blade during the separation sequence, which resulted in substantial damage. Subsequently an emergency landing was made to a nearby grass area with no further incident. Airbus Helicopters has two Alert Service Bulletins (ASB) out for the cabin doors on the AS350-B3. The operator reported that the ASBs from the helicopter manufacturer regarding the cabin doors had not been complied with prior to the accident. During a post-accident examination, the FAA inspector reported that he was not able to find any definitive reason for the departure of the door. He added that the door rollers were displaced and were not recovered, and a partial slide piece on the lower rail was not recovered either. Since the door rollers were not recovered, they were not able to be examined, and therefor their condition and function could not be tested. Airbus Helicopters has two Alert Service Bulletins (ASB) published in response to door seperations that occurred as a result of door roller failures on AS350-B3 helicopters. The operator reported that these ASBs had not been complied with prior to the accident. Because the affected components were not recovered, the investigation could not determine if compliance with these ASBs could have prevented the accident. Airbus noted that the damage was consistent with the door lock not being effective due to the presence of a cargo box that was stored in the cabin that interfered with the door, which resulted in the door opening and separating in flight due to the interference load introduced by the cargo box in the cabin. Although some affected components were not recovered and examined, the accident is consistent with the door lock failing inflight, likely due to interference between the door and the cargo box.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.