What happened
On August 10, 2001, at approximately 1428 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS350-B2 helicopter, registration N169PA, crashed into terrain during an uncontrolled descent. The accident occurred roughly 4 miles east of Meadview, Arizona.
The flight was operating as Papillon 34 under 14 CFR Part 135 air tour regulations. The mission began at approximately 1245 from the company terminal at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Nevada, intended as a tour of the western Grand Canyon area with a scheduled stop at Quartermaster Canyon.
After departing the landing site in Quartermaster Canyon at about 1400, the helicopter stopped at a fueling facility located at Grand Canyon West Airport (GCW). The aircraft departed the fueling facility at 1420, en route back to Las Vegas. During this final leg of the flight, the aircraft collided with the ground. The impact and subsequent postcrash fire destroyed the helicopter. There were 6 fatal injuries among the pilot and five passengers, while one remaining passenger sustained serious injuries.