Accident · 2004-01-20

NTSB case LAX04CA097 · Eurocopter AS350 B3 · Part 91

What the record says

Event date: 2004-01-20
Event type: Accident
Highest injury level: No injuries
Aircraft: Eurocopter AS350 B3 (N970AE)
Operating rule: Part 91
Operator: PETROLEUM HELI Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): Petroleum Helicopters

Probable cause

the pilot's excessive flare and mistimed collective application during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a loss of main rotor rpm and a subsequent hard landing. Also causal, was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision of the flight. The soft terrain was a factor.

Source: NTSB case LAX04CA097

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.

Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.

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