Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bisbee, Arizona 85603
Monday, October 27, 2014 16:04 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On October 27, 2014, at 1604 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS350B2, N5204X, experienced a sudden loss of engine power while maneuvering near Bisbee, Arizona. The Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was operating the helicopter as a public-use flight. The certified flight instructor, the sole occupant, was seriously injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The pilot departed from Sierra Vista Municipal Airport-Libby Army Airfield, Fort Huachuca, Arizona about 1530 for a local area border patrol flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was maneuvering the helicopter up a small valley in an effort to aid Border Patrol Agents on the ground. As he completed a second pass, with the helicopter maneuvering about 25 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot could audibly detect that the engine was shutting down. He immediately decided on the best suitable landing site and began an autorotation toward that location. The helicopter touched down hard and the tail then impacted the ground separating from the airframe
The wreckage was recovered for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/27/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1604 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Bisbee |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85603 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 312354N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1094806W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1556 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 95 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KDUG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Comm |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 7 2014 6:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5204X |
| NTSB Number | WPR15TA027 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| 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 | AS 350 B2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | B2 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3099 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4960 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | 4 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 7 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 5781 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | US DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WASHINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 202290002 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | US DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WASHINGTON |
| Operator State | DC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 202290002 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KFHU |
| Departure City | Fort Huachuca |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KFHU |
| Destination City | Fort Huachuca |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 7 2014 6:27PM |
| 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 | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |