Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Falcon Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mesa, Arizona 85212
Monday, November 3, 2003 17:45 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter impacted a taxiway after a experiencing a loss of anti torque control during an emergency landing. The pilot reported a hydraulic system failure and diverted to the nearest airport. During the emergency landing, after slowing the helicopter and descending through 100 feet, the helicopter yawed to the left. The pilot attempted to apply right pedal but was met with more force than he was expecting to overcome in moving the anti torque pedals. The pilot attempted to keep the helicopter in a level attitude; however, he was unable to stop the helicopter from spinning. The helicopter touched down, and rotated on the ground until the right landing gear skid collapsed and the main rotor system impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. The engine continued to operate and the main rotor blades repeatedly impacted the ground until the fire department was able to shutdown the engine by directing a stream of firefighting foam into the engine intake. The pilot turned off the electrical master switch and exited the helicopter. The AS350 B3 is equipped with four servo actuators, three for the main rotor system and one for the tail rotor blade pitch control. The flight manual emergency procedures section notes that without any hydraulic pressure, the anti torque pedal operating force is very high on the helicopter. Post accident examination of the wreckage revealed the hydraulic test switch was depressed. Activation of the hydraulic test switch will dump hydraulic pressure and is used during the preflight inspection to test the hydraulic accumulator pressure. If it is depressed during flight, the hydraulic system will dump pressure and mirror a hydraulic system failure. No other anomalies were noted with the hydraulic system during post accident examinations and testing. The recommended emergency procedures for a hydraulic system failure dictates that the pilot make a flat approach over a clear landing area and land with slight forward speed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent activation of the hydraulic test switch, which resulted in a loss of the hydraulic system pressure, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/3/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Mesa |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85212 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332739N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114342W |
| Event Location Airport | Falcon Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FFZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1370 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1858 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FFZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1366 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17324 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 3 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1645 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2005 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO-Scottsdale |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N820NA |
| NTSB Number | LAX04LA035 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter |
| Aircraft Model | AS350 B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3602 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4961 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 15 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 45.7 |
| Airframe Hours | 1143.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Roberts Aircraft Co. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4390 1-80 Service Rd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Burns |
| Aircraft Owner State | WY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 82053 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | NATIVE AMERICAN AIR AMBULANCE INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6402 East Superstition Springs Blvd. Suite 224 |
| Operator City | Mesa |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85212 |
| Operator Code | S4WA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SOW |
| Departure City | Show Low |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SDL |
| Destination City | Scottsdale |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Medical Emergency |