You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Friday 5 February 2010 |
| Time: | 19:20 |
| Type: |  Aérospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil |
| Owner/operator: | Enchantment Aviation Inc dba Southwest Med Evac |
| Registration: | N157BC |
| MSN: | 2418 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1990 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8596 hours |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near El Paso, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | El Paso International Airport, TX (ELP/KELP) |
| Mcgregor Range, NM | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On February 5, 2010, approximately 1920 mountain standard time, an Aerospatiale AS350/B2 helicopter, N157BC, was substantially damaged upon impact with terrain while maneuvering in the McGregor Military Range, 23 miles northeast of El Paso, Texas. A postaccident fire ensued. The commercial pilot and two paramedics received fatal injuries. The helicopter was owned and operated by Enchantment Aviation Inc., D.B.A. Southwest Med Evac under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 as a practice emergency medical services (EMS) flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The flight departed the El Paso International Airport (KELP), El Paso, Texas, approximately 1825.
The commercial pilot and two paramedics were dispatched to a remote desert area for a simulated patient pick up. This was the pilot's second company flight and first uninstructed night vision goggle (NVG) flight since his recent company training. While maneuvering for the landing zone, ground personnel observed the helicopter orbit one or two times and the pilot was using the non-NVG spotlight to illuminate the ground. Ground personnel then observed the helicopter make a wide orbit before it banked about 45 degrees, entered a steep nose-down attitude, and impacted the ground. None of the witnesses reported an attempt by the helicopter to avoid an impact with the ground. A postcrash fire ensued. An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded the safe operation of the helicopter.
On the night of the accident there was zero percent moon illumination and very little cultural lighting in the remote area where the accident occurred, resulting in low visual contrast when using NVG’s. The pilot’s recent NVG training had all been conducted on nights with high moon illumination and in populated areas with high amounts of cultural lighting and did not prepare the pilot for flight in the conditions encountered on the night of the accident. The low visual contrast conditions, combined with the narrow field of view of the NVG’s, reduced the pilot’s ability to maintain situational awareness. The lack of attempted recovery prior to ground impact suggests that the pilot did not recognize the helicopter’s descent rate and bank angle.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of situational awareness resulting in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's unfamiliarity with the hazards of a low-contrast area while using night vision goggles.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75342
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Feb-2010 07:56 | RobertMB | Added |
| 07-Feb-2010 10:40 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 07-Feb-2010 23:46 | Alpine Flight | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Other fatalities, ] |
| 12-Feb-2010 14:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, ] |
| 28-Jul-2014 18:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 26-Nov-2017 15:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jul-2025 07:16 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation