Flight History
On February 14, 2010, approximately 1505 mountain standard time, a Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH EC135 T1 twin-engine turbine-powered helicopter, registration N127TS, lost control and impacted terrain near Cave Creek, Arizona. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Services Group of America Inc. (SGA) of Scottsdale, Arizona, and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Whispering Pines Ranch in Parks, Arizona, about 1430 and was destined for Scottsdale Airport (SDL).
SGA personnel reported that the helicopter made frequent trips between SDL and the ranch, arriving on February 12, 2010. On the accident day, the ranch foreman assisted the pilot and four passengers (including the helicopter owner and his 5-year-old daughter) and two dogs in boarding. The foreman observed the pilot seated in the right front cockpit seat, starting both engines. The owner and his daughter occupied the left front cockpit seat, with the child on her father's lap. After lift-off, the helicopter ascended to about 100–150 feet, made a 180-degree turn to the north, and departed northwest.
Witness Observations
Multiple witnesses provided accounts. Witness #1, about 1,385 feet north of the accident site, heard two pops and saw blade debris separate from the rear of the helicopter before it turned inverted and descended straight down. Witness #2, about 500 feet west, heard engine cutting out and saw the helicopter rotate in circles before descending at a steep angle. Witness #3, 2,350 feet north, heard two small pops followed by roaring noises, observed two flashes on the main rotor, and saw the helicopter spin and lose altitude before a final nose-up, tail-first descent. Witness #4, inside a home, heard a loud sound and saw the helicopter descend straight down from about 200 feet. Witness #5, about 500 feet west, heard a pop then popping and banging, then observed a nose dive at about 80 degrees. Witness #6, 650 feet east, heard popping sounds every 15–20 seconds and saw the helicopter make four clockwise circles before descending. Witness #7, at the same location, saw rotations and a roll to the left before impact. Witness #8, 1,000 feet west, heard a loud pop and saw spinning and altitude loss. Witness #9, 3,000 feet west, heard engine rapping and observed parts separating, then clockwise rotations. Witness #10, 1.34 miles west-southwest, heard popping and loud blade sounds, saw the helicopter hover perfectly still for about 10 seconds then dive straight down halfway, pull up, circle two and a half times, and drop suddenly.
First responders reported no postcrash fire initially, but a small fire erupted about two minutes later, consuming the helicopter.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 63, held a commercial pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter issued December 6, 1969, and a second-class medical certificate issued July 31, 2009, with a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported 10,117 total flight hours; SGA operations reported 11,045 total hours, including 824 in the EC135 T1, with 13 hours in the preceding 90 days. His most recent flight review was July 1, 2008, in the EC135 T1. He had received initial and recurrent EC135 T1 training from American Eurocopter between 2002 and 2008, with satisfactory performance. Two instructor pilots noted the pilot's comments about pressure from the helicopter's owner to complete flights and the owner's tendency to dominate cockpit duties.
The helicopter owner, age 64, occupied the left front cockpit seat. He held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, issued October 26, 1967, but was not rated to fly helicopters. SGA's chief pilot noted it was common for the owner to fly the helicopter.
Aircraft Information
The Eurocopter EC135 T1, serial number 0094, was manufactured in 1999 and received its airworthiness certificate on April 21, 2000. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had accumulated 1,115.9 hours total time since new. Maintenance records indicated compliance with Eurocopter's recommended inspection program; the most recent annual inspection was October 30, 2009, at 1,103 hours with no discrepancies. The helicopter was originally configured with a utility interior, later converted by SGA to an executive interior with pilot and copilot seats, two aft-facing seats and a galley, and two forward-facing aft seats.
Previous incidents involving N127TS included: on May 8, 2003, the helicopter owner (not a rated helicopter pilot) was at the controls when the left seat slid aft, causing a drop of about 50 feet and damage to the horizontal stabilizer and engine. On January 14, 2004, the accident pilot made a hard landing on Vashon Island, Washington, resulting in repairs. On September 13, 2007, a #2 engine chip light illuminated shortly after departure from Flagstaff, Arizona, leading to a single-engine landing; the engine was replaced in January 2008.
A main rotor blade (yellow blade S/N 765) had been removed in November 2009 due to balance issues and sent for repair, which was completed on February 1, 2010. A rental blade (SN 2472) replaced it and was involved in the accident.