Eurocopter France AS350B2 N350WW
9 September 2023 · Silverton, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 September 2023 at about 03:28 local time, a Eurocopter France AS350B2 registered N350WW was involved in an accident near Silverton, Washington, United States. 5 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.
The record
- Date
- at 03:28
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Silverton, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.0304, -121.5362
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter France AS350B2
- Registration
- N350WW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1989
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Arlington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- WPR23LA339
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain visual reference and altitude while maneuvering over a lake during dusk conditions, which resulted in the helicopter impacting water.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the helicopter on the shoreline of a lake, during low light, dusk conditions. During the approach to the shoreline, he began maneuvering to slow the helicopter down and descend over the open water and that his attention was fully outside of the helicopter, when he saw a light from the intended landing zone get brighter, and the area around the helicopter suddenly got darker. The helicopter subsequently struck the surface of the lake, rolled inverted, and sank in about 80 ft. of water. The pilot and the passengers exited the helicopter and were rescued by a good Samaritan before it sank. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor drive system and tail boom assembly. The pilot reported that there are no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Eurocopter France AS350B2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Dec 2021 | Eurocopter France AS350B2 | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Sunshine Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 8 Dec 2011 | Eurocopter France AS350B2 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Sundance Helicopters Inc | Fatal | 5 |
| 6 Feb 2008 | Eurocopter France AS350B2 | S. Padre Island, Texas, United States | Metro Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2023 | Aviat A-1C-180 HUSKY | Lakewood, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2023 | Golden Circle T BIRD | Arlington, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 2023 | Cessna A185F | Twisp, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jan 2023 | Quad City CHALLENGER | Kent, Washington, United States | Andrew Semanskee | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2023 | Piper PA-12 | Eatonville, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 2023 | Found FBA2C | Moses Lake, Washington, United States | AngelOne Canada | No injuries | - |