ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 244459
Last updated: 22 November 2021
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| Date: | 26-OCT-2020 |
| Time: | 23:37 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS 350B3 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Air Methods Corp (AMC) |
| Registration: | N530H |
| MSN: | 4553 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Arenas Valley, Grant County, NM -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | Gila Regional Medical Center, NM |
| Whiskey Creek Airport (94E), NM | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
The helicopter crashed in a residential area approximately 200 yards NW of the Whiskey Creek Airport (94E), Arenas Valley, near Silver City, New Mexico and came to rest approximately 25 ft from a house. The helicopter was destroyed. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries.
A winter storm was approaching the area and the intent of the flight was to relocate the aircraft from the base at Gila Regional Medical Center to Whiskey Creek to place it in the company rented hangar. Night MVFR conditions prevailed with light to moderate mixed precipitation. The accident flight departed at 23:34 local time. The pilot described VFR conditions upon departure and enroute, but noted the precipitation turned from rain to snow as he approached the airport. The flight followed along Hwy 180 east, and turned final approximately 1 mile north of the airport. On the turn to final, the pilot reported an increase in precipitation, and a reduction in visibility. The aircraft impacted terrain in a level, or slightly nose-low attitude approximately 200 yards NW of the airport at 23:37 local.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient altitude above terrain while operating in reduced visibility due to snow showers.
Sources:
https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/60871-helicopter-crash-in-arenas-valley-nm
https://localaccidentreports.com/new-mexico/arenas-valley-nm-injuries-reported-after-helicopter-crash-in-grant-county/
https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/helicopter-crashes-in-grant-county-overnight/
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/amc-as350b3-night-cfit-in-snow/
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102200
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102200/pdf
Media:
#NTSB report on Air Methods AS350B3 Night CFIT in Snow: Repositioning to avoid a storm, this air ambulance crashed just short of its destination on a 3-minute flight. https://t.co/tibz3AluUy #helicopter #airambulance #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/GK9BTtjiJZ
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) August 21, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2020 11:24 | Notarhelicopters | Added |
| 28-Oct-2020 11:59 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2020 12:00 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 28-Oct-2020 12:53 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2020 13:12 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2020 13:13 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Aircraft type] |
| 28-Oct-2020 14:46 | harro | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Feb-2021 19:04 | rudy | Updated [[Source]] |
| 21-Aug-2021 17:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative] |
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