1 fatality

3 Jul 2015: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E (N390LG) — AIR METHODS CORP — Frisco, CO

Frisco, CO, United States

On 3 Jul 2015, an AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E (registration N390LG) operated by AIR METHODS CORP was involved in an aviation accident near Frisco, CO. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Airbus Helicopters' dual-hydraulic AS350 B3e helicopter's (1) preflight hydraulic check, which depleted hydraulic pressure in the tail rotor hydraulic circuit, and (2) lack of salient alerting to the pilot that hydraulic pressure was not restored before… This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

On July 3, 2015, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e (N390LG) operated by Air Methods Corporation crashed into a parking lot 360 feet southwest of the Summit Medical Center Heliport. The pilot was fatally injured; two flight nurses sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was destroyed.

Accident Overview

On July 3, 2015, at about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e helicopter, registration N390LG, operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the Summit Medical Center Heliport in Frisco, Colorado. The helicopter then crashed into a parking lot located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The impact and a subsequent postcrash fire destroyed the helicopter.

Injuries and Damage

The pilot sustained fatal injuries. Two flight nurses on board were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and the postcrash fire.

Flight Details

The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation.

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the accident and published its findings in Aircraft Accident Report NTSB/AAR-17/01. The full report is available on the NTSB website.

Contributing factors

ManufacturerDesignPilot