History of Flight
On December 27, 2022, at 1635 Pacific daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters EC-130-T2, N835GC, was substantially damaged when it crashed near Boulder City, Nevada. The helicopter was the second of four company helicopters returning from Kingman, Arizona, to Boulder City Municipal Airport. Security video showed the accident helicopter enter a left climbing spin for about three revolutions and descend to the ground 10-12 seconds after starting a left turn. The skids collapsed and the tail boom contacted the ground. The pilot stated that when the helicopter started turning left, he applied right anti-torque pedal, and when it continued to spin, he lowered the cyclic.
Engine Data Recorder information indicated left pedal deflection followed by right pedal deflection, then rapid pedal reversals before impact.
Injuries
Four of the seven occupants were diagnosed with vertebral fractures, including one with multiple vertebral levels and a fractured pelvis, two with lumbar fractures, one with a thoracic fracture, and one with a right tibia and fibula fracture and splenic laceration.
Pilot Information
The pilot had accumulated 23 total flight hours in the make and model at the time of the accident, which did not include flight time from previous training that was terminated by another operator. He held private and commercial pilot certificates and had experience in Robinson helicopters and as second-in-command in Boeing-Vertol 234 helicopters.
Additional Information
Airbus Helicopters issued safety notices regarding unanticipated left yaw, noting that all single rotor helicopters can be susceptible at low speed, and that corrective action requires large amplitude right pedal input. The pilot stated he was familiar with unanticipated yaw but not with a specific information notice on differences between Fenestron and conventional tail rotor helicopters.
Postaccident examination of the seats showed no anomalies that would have affected energy-absorption performance. A performance study estimated a yaw rate up to 139 degrees/second and vertical impact speed of 43 feet/second, with peak decelerations estimated by Airbus Helicopters at 35.3 g downward, 10.5 g frontward, and 10.5 g leftward.