Pilot Debrief

Eurocopter France AS350B2 near S. Padre Island, TX — 2008-02-06

Final reportDFW08FA062
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Date
2008-02-06
Location
S. Padre Island, TX, USA
Aircraft
Eurocopter France AS350B2
Registration
N911VA
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
3
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in the helicopter impacting the water. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, the low ceiling, dark night conditions, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument flying experience.

Contributing factors

Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, the low ceiling, dark night conditions, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument flying experience.

NTSB narrative

The EMS helicopter departed in dark night visual meteorological conditions en route to pick up a patient. The helicopter approached the intended landing zone from the west and reported to approach control that he had the landing zone in sight when he was at 1,000 feet above ground level and approximately 4 miles west of the landing zone. Shortly after that, the helicopter began a left turn approximately two miles to the west of the landing zone, followed by a tighter radius right turn. Several radio recordings from the flight nurse onboard the helicopter were heard to transmit the following: "uh i got lights here...follow the uh the lights out...ok follow the lights out...we're in the clouds again we're gonna abort transport patient by ground." The last radar position was at an altitude of 1,000 feet. Several witnesses saw the lights of the helicopter fall almost straight down, and the helicopter wreckage exhibited damage consistent with a high speed, port side, inverted impact with water. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, systems, and engine. A review of the pilot's experience showed that his most recent actual instrument experience was in 1997 when he completed an instrument competency check in a single-engine airplane. The only instrument experience in a helicopter entered in the pilot's logbook within the past ten years was two entries of simulated instrument time of 0.8 hours in December, 2005. and 0.2 hours in September, 2007.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Spatial disorientation
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight earlier when encountering clouds again.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 28 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents28

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