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| Date: | Wednesday 17 January 2018 |
| Time: | 18:00 |
| Type: |  Bell UH-1H Iroquois |
| Owner/operator: | Sapphire Aviation LLC |
| Registration: | N658H |
| MSN: | 67-17658 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4420 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming T53-L-703 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Raton, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Raton-Crews Field, NM (RTN/KRTN) |
| Folsom, NM | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On January 17, 2018, about 1800 mountain standard time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, N658H, impacted terrain near Raton, New Mexico. The helicopter was subsequently consumed by a postimpact fire. The commercial pilot, a pilot-rated passenger, and three other passengers were fatally injured. One passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Sapphire Aviation LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Raton Municipal Airport/Crews Field (RTN), near Raton, New Mexico, about 1750 and was destined for Folsom, New Mexico.
The commercial pilot, a pilot rated passenger and four passengers departed in the helicopter on a cross-country flight in dark night visual meteorological conditions. According to the sole surviving passenger, the flight proceeded normally until it impacted the ground in level flight and came to rest inverted.
The pilot initially survived the accident but succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital. A witness who spoke to the pilot before he was transported from the accident site reported that the pilot said that he had flown into terrain.
Overhead imagery revealed that the area surrounding the accident site comprised unpopulated ranchland grass and sparse, low brush. The imagery showed a reduced amount of visual terrain features in the area of the accident site during night conditions and there were no sources of ground lighting or illumination in the vicinity. The pilot's familiarity with the route of flight could not be determined.
The wreckage was located on a nearly-level mesa that rose about 100 ft above the surrounding mountainous terrain. A postaccident examination did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter, and ground scars at the site were consistent with impact in a level attitude.
Toxicology testing indicated a therapeutic level of diphenhydramine in the pilot's blood at the time of the accident, which likely impaired him to some degree; however, it could not be determined if psychomotor slowing from the diphenhydramine contributed to his inability to recognize and/or avoid the terrain.
FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 61-134, General Aviation Controlled Flight into Terrain Awareness, defines controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) as when an airworthy aircraft is flown, under the control of a qualified pilot, into terrain (water or obstacles) with inadequate awareness on the part of the pilot of the impending collision. Professional aviation articles on CFIT state that during night conditions where the height above terrain may be misperceived by a pilot, controlled flight into terrain can occur, even to experienced pilots.
Given the lack of mechanical anomalies and the level impact attitude of the helicopter, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain adequate altitude during cruise flight and subsequently impacted rising terrain.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above mountainous terrain during cruise flight in dark night conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96626
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=658H
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Media:
NTSB report on UH-1H N658H night CFIT: VFR flight on a moonless night over a mountainous are area with low cultural lighting with pax in a Restricted CofA (external load) helicopterhttps://t.co/fcgVKa7nFa pic.twitter.com/c2XfNavQQO
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) July 11, 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jan-2018 07:10 | gerard57 | Added |
| 18-Jan-2018 10:11 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Embed code, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 17:12 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 17:35 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 17:44 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 18:59 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 22:34 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Jan-2018 23:04 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 19-Jan-2018 06:03 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 11-Jul-2019 07:22 | Aerossurance | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 15-Jul-2019 18:03 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 15-Jul-2019 18:34 | harro | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 12-Mar-2025 12:40 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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