Accident Overview
On June 9, 2009, at approximately 2135 mountain daylight time, an Agusta S.p.A. A-109E helicopter, registration N606SP, impacted terrain near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The accident occurred after the helicopter, operating under visual flight rules, entered instrument meteorological conditions.
Flight and Mission Details
The helicopter was registered to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety and operated by the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) on a public search and rescue mission. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The helicopter departed its home base at Santa Fe Municipal Airport about 1850 in visual meteorological conditions. According to the accident report, instrument meteorological conditions prevailed when the helicopter departed the remote landing site about 2132.
Injuries and Damage
The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. A highway patrol officer, who was acting as a spotter during the accident flight, sustained serious injuries. The entire helicopter was substantially damaged.
Investigation
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-11/04.