ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 31123
Last updated: 19 May 2013
This information is added by users of ASN. ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | 23-NOV-1996 |
| Time: | 14:15 MST |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350F-1 Ecureuil |
| Operator: | New Mexico State Police |
| Registration: | N606SP |
| C/n / msn: | 5230 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Taos, New Mexico -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the public use helicopter search and rescue mission to locate and recover a deceased victim from the bottom of a canyon (650 feet deep). Winds from the west at 5 to 10 mph and throughout the day several trips were conducted into the canyon.
Upon receiving notification of the location and preparedness to remove the victim, the pilot flew the helicopter to the canyon and hovered the helicopter with a portion of the left skid on a boulder. The rescue team loaded the litter into the cabin on the left side of the helicopter.
As the litter was being secured and one of the rescue team members was climbing on board,'a gust of wind caused the helicopter to yaw to the right.' As the pilot 'attempted to regain directional control, the skid started to slip on the rock, the tail pitched downward, and the vertical fin and tail rotor struck a rock.' The pilot secured the engines and set the helicopter down, straddling a boulder.
Sources:
http://dms.ntsb.gov/aviation/AccidentReports/d0eh5uy2lshexcrx4si5ic451/U02072012120000.pdf
http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=11362
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=606SP
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 07-Feb-2012 15:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total occupants, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description