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| Date: | Tuesday 1 January 2002 |
| Time: | 11:00 |
| Type: |  Aerospatiale AS 350B |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZK-HHM |
| MSN: | 1076 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fox Glacier -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Passenger |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA NZ |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The pilot was tasked with picking up three passengers from Chancellor Hut and flying them down to Fox Glacier. Although there was heavy rain in the area, the pilot was able to reach the hut without difficulty, where he loaded the passengers and their equi pment. Just as the helicopter began forward flight, the hydraulic system failed, with none of the normal aural or visual warnings. The pilot was committed to the takeoff, and during the initial control difficulty that he experienced, the helicopter struck the ground heavily below the helipad. The forward section of the left skid was broken off in the impact, and some crush damage was inflicted on the belly of the helicopter. The extent of the damage was not known to the pilot at this stage of the flight. The pilot continued down the glacier, not without some difficulty, and tried several times to restore hydraulic power by pressing the isolation switch on the collective. Approaching Fox Glacier township, he elected to make a run-on landing on the Fox airstrip. Once the skids had contacted the ground, the pilot noted a tendency for the helicopter to lurch forward and to the left. It was not until he disembarked that he saw the damage to the left skid.
Sources:
CAA NZ Occurrence 02/09
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-May-2025 17:10 | ASN | Added |
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