2020 AS350 B3 Emergency Landing at Hospital Parking Lot in Santiago

Incident Overview and Flight Details On July 31, 2020, at 11:30 local time, a commercial helicopter pilot was operating an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 (manufactured by Helibras) from Helipuerto Santiago SpA (SHSH) in Huechuraba, Santiago, with a destination of Tuncahue in Codegua, O'Higgins Region. The flight's purpose was to transport the aircraft to an agricultural area for a frost control operation. ## Engine Failure and Emergency Landing While flying over the Independencia commune, the pilot reported an unexpected engine stoppage without prior visual or aural warnings. The aircraft began to descend, and the pilot initiated an emergency autorotation, selecting a parking lot at the Dr. Roberto del Río Children's Hospital as the landing site. Due to the confined space and surrounding buildings, the helicopter made a hard landing and struck a tree with its tail. ## Injuries and Aircraft Damage The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the aircraft suffered severe structural damage. The fuselage, including the cabin, right windshield, and lower left window, was fractured. Both sliding doors were detached, and the rear lower fairing was broken. The fuel tank leaked, and the landing gear tubes were crossed and deformed. The main rotor head was fractured, with one blade deformed and delaminated, another fractured and embedded in the tail cone, and a third bent. The tail cone was fractured, the tail rotor box detached, and transmission shafts and stabilizers were deformed. The engine was seized, with fractured internal bearings and obstructed oil injectors. ## Maintenance and Operational Records The aircraft had 2,276.2 service hours and was certified airworthy until May 26, 2021. Maintenance records showed recent inspections, including a pyrometric harness replacement on July 25, 2020. However, the flight log lacked records of specific operational atmospheres and engine health check parameters, which should have been considered for special inspections. The pre-flight check on the day of the incident found no discrepancies. ## Meteorological and Weight Conditions At the time of the incident, the weather featured partial cloud cover, with temperatures between 13.4°C and 14.8°C. The aircraft's takeoff weight was 1,705.0 kg, well below the maximum takeoff weight of 2,250.0 kg, and within the longitudinal and lateral center of gravity limits.