Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Valle Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86046
Saturday, June 8, 2013 9:35 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 08, 2013, about 0935 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter EC130, N130PH, experienced an engine control malfunction while performing practice autorotation maneuvers near Grand Canyon, Arizona. American Helicopters LLC owned the helicopter and Papillion Grand Canyon Helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) were not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The training flight departed Grand Canyon National Park Airport, Grand Canyon about 0815 with a planned destination of Valle Airport, Grand Canyon. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
The purpose of the flight was for the CFI to provide instruction to the PUI, who had recently been hired by the operator. After performing numerous maneuvers, the CFI was conducting a simulated engine failure, which he intended to terminate with a power recovery. During the maneuver the CFI configured the helicopter for an appropriate airspeed and while descending through 200 feet above ground level (agl), he began to roll the throttle in an attempt to increase engine power. The throttle grip was seized and he could not manipulate the control to increase the power.
The CFI performed a full down autorotation and the helicopter touched down on the dirt terrain. The helicopter’s nose tipped downward and then it rocked back on the skids, resulting in the main rotor blades severing the tailboom. The helicopter came to rest about 3 nautical miles northeast of the Valle Airport.
The wreckage was recovered for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/8/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 935 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Grand Canyon |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86046 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353902N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1120852W |
| Event Location Airport | Valle Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 40G |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6000 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 954 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GCN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6609 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KGCN 081654Z VRB06KT 10SM CLR 29/M10 A3013 R |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 14 2013 6:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N130PH |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA266 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | EC 130 B4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3670 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AMERICAN HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KIRKLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98034-8795 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Las Vegas |
| Operator State | NE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89119 |
| Operator Code | PG9 |
| 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 | A174H |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | GCN |
| Departure City | Grand Canyon |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 40G |
| 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 | Jun 14 2013 6:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |