No fatalities

EUROCOPTER AS355 N accident at Palm Beach, FL, 19 May 2022

Palm Beach, FL, United States

On May 19, 2022, an EUROCOPTER AS355 N was involved in an aviation accident near Palm Beach, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the unlatched engine cowling opening and being struck by a main rotor blade during flight. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the unlatched engine cowling opening and being struck by a main rotor blade during flight. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to properly secure the cowling following maintenance.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotInadequate inspectionMaintenance personnel