On July 10, 1993, an American Eurocopter AS350BA (registration N350BA) operated by American Eurocopter Corp. was involved in an aviation accident near West Plains, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: UNDETERMINED. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
Witnesses reported a helicopter experienced a hard landing, bounced, became airborne spinning, and struck power lines before coming to rest on a road. Postaccident investigation found no preimpact mechanical anomaly.
Incident Description
A helicopter crashed during an attempted landing at a fairground. According to witnesses, the aircraft was circling overhead before beginning its approach to an open field at the fairground. The helicopter descended to approximately 10 feet above the ground, then turned right and stopped. It then dropped tail-low to the ground and bounced forward hard on its nose section. After becoming airborne again, the helicopter was seen spinning and moving toward witnesses. It subsequently struck electrical power lines and came to rest on an asphalt road about 90 feet from the point of initial impact.
Witness Accounts
Witnesses reported that everything appeared normal as the helicopter circled before the approach. They observed the descent to about 10 feet, the right turn, and the cessation of forward motion. The subsequent tail-low drop, hard bounce on the nose, and the spinning ascent were described. The aircraft's movement toward them before the power line strike was also noted.
Investigation
A postaccident investigation revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomaly. No further details about the cause of the accident were provided in the source material.