Flight History
On October 29, 2018, about 1345 central daylight time, a Eurocopter (Airbus) AS350 B3 helicopter, registration N910S, impacted terrain near Odanah, Wisconsin. The helicopter was destroyed and the pilot sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was owned and operated by Enbridge Energy Company, Inc., conducting an aerial observation flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight departed Gogebic-Iron County Airport (IWD), Ironwood, Michigan, around 1300 and was en route to Madison, Wisconsin.
The flight was a routine pipeline patrol. Two pipeline employees working about 2 to 3 miles from the accident site reported seeing the helicopter overhead. One employee, familiar with pipeline helicopters, noted nothing unusual about the helicopter's appearance or sounds.
After the pilot failed to arrive at his destination, an alert notice was issued. The pilot had not contacted air traffic control during the flight, and no distress call was recorded. The wreckage was found about 22 miles west of IWD in a remote wooded area, approximately 200 yards north of the east-west pipeline.
Pilot Information
The pilot was a Canadian citizen holding a Canadian commercial pilot certificate with helicopter and instrument ratings, a Canadian private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings, and a US private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating. He held a Canadian category 1 medical certificate; his last medical exam was on October 1, 2018, though the last certificate on file with Transport Canada was dated March 12, 2018.
The operator reported the pilot had 16,894 total flight hours, including 16,535 hours in helicopters and 693 hours in the AS350. In the 90 days before the accident, he flew 208 hours in the AS350.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter, a Eurocopter AS350 B3 (also designated Airbus H125), had a three-bladed clockwise-rotating main rotor system with Starflex rotor head. It was powered by a Safran Turbomeca Arriel 2D turboshaft engine. The helicopter was equipped with a long-range fuel cell that was not connected to the fuel system. Before departure, it received 120 gallons of fuel at IWD. It also had an Appareo Vision 1000 cockpit image and flight data monitoring system.
Maintenance was conducted per the manufacturer's inspection program. The last inspection was completed on October 26, 2018, with total airframe time of 2,965.7 hours. The engine had accumulated 2,965.2 total hours and 1,483 cycles at that time.
Meteorological Information
At 1356, the automated weather observing system at IWD recorded wind from 300° at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, overcast ceiling at 1,600 ft, temperature 41°F, dew point 36°F, and altimeter setting 30.02 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The helicopter impacted trees and terrain, coming to rest upright among trees. Several trees showed cuts, including one 10- to 12-inch diameter tree completely severed. Except for small plexiglass fragments, wreckage was confined to the impact/resting site. The front cabin and cockpit area were mostly destroyed by impact and post-crash fire. Major components were located at the site.
An on-scene examination was conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge and technical representatives. Flight control continuity inspection was limited due to fire damage, but bolt connections to actuators were confirmed. The tail rotor pitch control moved freely; the tail rotor flex cable was attached and ran forward under the fire-damaged cabin floor. Cyclic and anti-torque pedals were connected to tubes beneath the floor but were destroyed. The Appareo Vision system was recovered but badly fire-damaged; no data could be retrieved.
The engine sustained extensive fire and impact damage. Intake axial compressor blades showed damage near outer tips, and the module 5 torque nut had slippage of about 1/16 to 1/8 inch, consistent with engine power at impact. The digital engine control unit and engine data recorder were removed but yielded no data due to fire damage.
Tail rotor blades were broken but attached; paint transfer and impact scars indicated impact with the stabilizer. The three main rotor blades remained attached and exhibited impact and fire damage. No preimpact abnormalities were noted during examinations, though thermal and impact damage limited the assessment.
Additional Information
An iPhone and iPad were recovered and sent to the NTSB's Vehicle Recorder Division for non-volatile memory download. Both were damaged; no information could be retrieved from the iPad. The iPhone contained text and e-mail messages, photographs, and telephone call records. Photos taken earlier that day showed ground activity near the pipeline and routine engine power checks, but none were pertinent to the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, Ramsey, Minnesota, determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy noted moderate to severe coronary artery disease, scarring of heart muscle from a previous myocardial infarction, and changes in liver blood vessels indicative of congestive heart failure. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and all tested drugs.