Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Temple Bar, Arizona 86444
Sunday, December 6, 2009 10:30 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that after arriving to work late he began his preflight inspection on the helicopter. As the pilot was inspecting the left engine, the refueling truck arrived and the pilot lowered the left engine cowling door and tended to the refueling of the helicopter. The pilot said that following the refueling of the helicopter, he continued his preflight inspection and subsequently boarded the passengers “not realizing I left the engine cowling ‘unlatched’.” While en route to the flight’s intended destination, the pilot heard a “pop” followed by feedback in the cyclic control. The pilot was informed by the pilot of a second helicopter that the left engine cowling appeared to be open and partially separated. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to the desert surface and landed without further incident. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that two of the three main rotor blades were damaged. One main rotor blade exhibited a one-inch-long gouge about one-quarter of an inch in depth near the blade root. A portion of the left engine cowling was separated and not located.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention during the preflight inspection.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/6/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Temple Bar |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86444 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 360113N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1142005W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LVS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1870 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.82 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26530 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 19 2010 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N548SA |
| NTSB Number | WPR10LA075 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS 355F1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5167 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4950 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 22 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 36 |
| Airframe Hours | 7390 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HELIUSA AIRWAYS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 235 E TROPICANA AVE STE 115 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89169-7383 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | HELIUSA AIRWAYS INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 235 E TROPICANA AVE STE 115 |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89169-7383 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | LAS |
| Departure City | Las Vegas |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Grand Canyon |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 19 2010 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |