What happened
On July 29, 2020, an American Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopter, registration N755AE, was involved in a fatal accident near Pioche, Nevada. The flight was being conducted under Part 91 regulations as a positioning flight. The pilot had landed on a mountain ridge to survey a job site and intended to fly downhill to a nearby fuel truck to refuel before starting external load operations.
A witness at the scene reported seeing a 70-foot cable laid out on the ground in front of the helicopter prior to the accident flight. Shortly after the witness departed the area, reports of smoke were received, indicating the helicopter had crashed. The accident resulted in 2 fatalities.
The investigation
The helicopter came to rest in heavily wooded terrain on its right side, with no evidence of a post-impact fire. Investigators found that approximately 21 feet of steel long line cable had impacted the main rotor blades and became entangled in the separated tail rotor. The tail boom had broken off, and the tail rotor drive shaft was found near the main wreckage. One tail rotor blade was missing, while the other remained attached.
The engine was examined and found to be functional, with the gas generator and free turbine rotating freely. While the axial compressor showed minor foreign object debris damage, the engine data recorder showed the engine was placed in flight and then reduced to idle near the end of the recording. During this period, the main rotor speed decayed below the level required to maintain lift. No mechanical anomalies were found that would have prevented normal operation.