Airbus Helicopters AS350 N174SC
27 June 2024 · Sanford, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 June 2024 at about 19:34 local time, a Airbus Helicopters AS350 registered N174SC, operated by Seminole County Sheriffs Office, was involved in an accident near Sanford, Florida, United States. 3 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 19:34
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sanford, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Orlando Sanford International (SFB)
- Coordinates
- 28.7776, -81.2312
- Aircraft
- Airbus Helicopters AS350
- Registration
- N174SC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2023
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Seminole County Sheriffs Office
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sanford → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA24LA287
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The helicopter pilot’s improper maneuvering at low altitude in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in the helicopter entering a vortex ring state, and hard landing during a subsequent autorotation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
As part of a law enforcement simulation exercise, the helicopter pilot was orbiting near the departure airport between 200 to 300 ft above ground level, at 20 to 40 knots indicated airspeed. The pilot described that while the helicopter was in a left orbit the airspeed decreased to near 0. At that time, the helicopter began to descend in a vortex ring state (VRS). Due to the low altitude, the pilot was not able to recover from VRS and entered an autorotation to a grass area on the airport. The helicopter subsequently landed hard and came to rest upright in the grass area resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter’s tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Airbus Helicopters AS350 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2024 | Airbus Helicopters AS350 | Unknown, Nepal | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 28 Jun 2025 | Airbus Helicopters AS350 | Naters, Switzerland | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Mar 2021 | Airbus Helicopters AS350-B3 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Soloy Helicopters LLC | Fatal | 5 |
| 3 May 2020 | Airbus Helicopters AS350 | Clewiston, Florida, United States | MacNeil Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2015 | Airbus Helicopters AS350 | Superior, Arizona, United States | Air Methods Corp | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb 2024 | Bombardier CL-600-2B16 | Naples, Florida, United States | Ace Aviation Services | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Aug 2024 | Aeronca 65-TAC | Clearwater, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 2024 | Cessna 140 | Holt, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2024 | Piper PA28R | Vero Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2024 | Trozzi Thomas SEAREY | Eustis, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Dec 2024 | Buckeye DREAM MACHINE | Myakka City, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |