No fatalities

11 Jul 2017: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3 — King Vale, CA

King Vale, CA, United States

On 11 Jul 2017, an EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3 was involved in an aviation accident near King Vale, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while landing in a dusty, unimproved landing zone. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter hit a tree while landing in a dusty dirt parking lot, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical issues.

Incident

During a landing on an unimproved dirt parking lot, the pilot of a helicopter reported that dust kicked up, prompting him to shift his gaze through the "chin bubble" for a visual reference. As the helicopter descended to about 5 to 6 feet above the ground, the pilot felt a sudden impact. Subsequent impacts followed as two additional rotor blades struck a tree. The helicopter then fell "violently" to the ground and rolled onto its left side.

Damage

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and main rotor system.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAltitude — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation

Other contributing factors

Effect on personnel