Incident Overview
On February 22, 2009, at approximately 1955 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 helicopter, registration N353P, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Cave Creek, Arizona. The helicopter was registered to and operated by PHI Inc. of Lafayette, Louisiana, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and two medical crew members were not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the repositioning flight. The local flight originated from Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, at 1945 with an intended destination of Cave Creek.
Pilot Account
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was dispatched to the site of a traffic accident to provide patient transport. Upon arriving at the dispatched area, he obtained landing area information from the crew of a fire engine located adjacent to the landing zone. The fire engine crew reported power lines on the north and west sides, a flag pole on the eastern side, and trees to the immediate south of the 150-foot by 200-foot dirt parking lot. The pilot performed an aerial reconnaissance to visually identify the obstacles and asked if the landing area had been watered down. The fire engine crew stated it was not wetted down and "looked damp."
The pilot initiated his approach from the south. While descending through about 30 feet above ground level (agl), he noticed dust starting to circulate. As the descent continued through about 15 to 20 feet agl, he experienced a "brownout" and told the crew they were "going to the ground." He reduced power "to get down quicker and lower [the] dust volume." At about 10 feet agl, he lost visual reference through his night vision goggles (NVG) due to lights from adjacent fire trucks. He attempted to look outside through the windows underneath his NVGs as he slightly adjusted the collective. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard on the right landing skid, followed by the left, and came to rest upright adjacent to an office building and fire truck.
Flight Nurse Account
In a written statement, the flight nurse, seated behind the pilot, reported that prior to the approach to landing she was instructed by the pilot to "watch for dust" and that they "will go to the ground if need be." As the approach continued, she could see the ground outside her right window and dust "starting to appear and surround the aircraft." She stated the helicopter was drifting forward and to the left within close proximity to a building structure and fire engine before hitting the ground with one skid followed by the other.
Damage Assessment
Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the tail boom and fuselage were structurally damaged.
Probable Cause
Not determined from the information provided.