Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boulder City, Nevada 89005
Wednesday, January 1, 2014 15:07 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On January 1, 2014 about 1507 Pacific standard time, a Eurocopter EC-130, N133GC, landed hard during an autorotation, while on short final at the Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU), Boulder City, Nevada. The commercial pilot was the sole person on board and was not injured. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The aircraft was registered to Zuni LLC, and operated by Papillon Airways, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the postmaintenance check flight. No flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed about 1457.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that she completed the post-maintenance operational check flight and was on short final to BVU, about 200 feet above the ground with an airspeed of 40 to 50 knots. Shortly thereafter, the fuel pressure indicator light illuminated and the engine "flamed out". The pilot stated that she lowered the collective to initiate an autorotation, but did not have the airspeed to successfully complete it.
The helicopter's tailboom impacted the ground first during the accident sequence, followed by the hard landing. The helicopter's skids separated and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
The helicopter was relocated to a secured area for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/1/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1507 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Boulder City |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89005 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 355649N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1145136W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| 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 | 2256 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 278 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHND |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2458 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KHND 012256Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 18/M06 A3 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC-Los Angeles, CA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 7 2014 10:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N133GC |
| NTSB Number | WPR14LA084 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | EC 130 B4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3883 |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| 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 | ZUNI LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 12515 WILLOWS RD NE STE 200 |
| Aircraft Owner City | KIRKLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 980348795 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Papillon Airways Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Kirkland |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KBVU |
| Departure City | Boulder City |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1457 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KBVU |
| Destination City | Boulder City |
| Destination State | NV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 7 2014 10:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | -- |
| Medical Flight | -- |