National Transportation Safety Board
Aviation Accident Final Report
Location:

Frisco, CO

Accident Number:

CEN15MA290

Date & Time:

07/03/2015, 1339 MDT

Registration:

N390LG

Aircraft:

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC AS350B3E

Aircraft Damage:

Destroyed

Defining Event:

Loss of control in flight

Injuries:

1 Fatal, 2 Serious

Flight Conducted Under:

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter - Non-scheduled - Air Medical (Unspecified)

Analysis
The NTSB's full report is available at
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The
Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/01.
On July 3, 2015, about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e
helicopter, N390LG, registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the
Summit Medical Center Heliport, Frisco, Colorado, and then crashed into a parking lot; the
impact point was located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The pilot was fatally
injured, and the two flight nurses were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by
impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed at the time of the accident.

Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
Airbus Helicopters' dual-hydraulic AS350 B3e helicopter's (1) preflight hydraulic check, which
depleted hydraulic pressure in the tail rotor hydraulic circuit, and (2) lack of salient alerting to
the pilot that hydraulic pressure was not restored before takeoff. Such alerting might have cued
the pilot to his failure to reset the yaw servo hydraulic switch to its correct position during the
preflight hydraulic check, which resulted in a lack of hydraulic boost to the pedal controls, high
pedal forces, and a subsequent loss of control after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was
the pilot's failure to perform a hover check after liftoff, which would have alerted him to the
pedal control anomaly at an altitude that could have allowed him to safely land the helicopter.

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 Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the helicopter's fuel system, which was not
crash resistant and facilitated a fuel-fed postcrash fire.

Findings
Aircraft

Hydraulic power system - Design (Cause)
Hydraulic, indicating system - Design (Cause)
Fuel system - Design (Factor)

Personnel issues

Use of equip/system - Pilot (Cause)
Forgotten action/omission - Pilot (Cause)
Use of checklist - Pilot (Cause)
Aircraft control - Pilot (Cause)
Lack of action - Pilot (Factor)
Use of policy/procedure - Pilot (Factor)

Organizational issues

Equipment design - Manufacturer (Cause)
Design of document/info - Manufacturer (Cause)

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CEN15MA290

 Factual Information
The NTSB's full report is available at
http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The
Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-17/01.
On July 3, 2015, about 1339 mountain daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3e
helicopter, N390LG, registered to and operated by Air Methods Corporation, lifted off from the
Summit Medical Center Heliport, Frisco, Colorado, and then crashed into a parking lot; the
impact point was located 360 feet southwest of the ground-based helipad. The pilot was fatally
injured, and the two flight nurses were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by
impact forces and a postcrash fire. The flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of
Federal Regulations Part 135 on a company flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed at the time of the accident.

History of Flight
Takeoff

Preflight or dispatch event
Loss of control in flight (Defining event)

Uncontrolled descent

Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Post-impact

Fire/smoke (post-impact)

Pilot Information
Certificate:

Airline Transport; Commercial

Age:

64, Male

Airplane Rating(s):

Single-engine Land

Seat Occupied:

Front

Other Aircraft Rating(s):

Helicopter

Restraint Used:

3-point

Instrument Rating(s):

Airplane; Helicopter

Second Pilot Present:

No

Instructor Rating(s):

None

Toxicology Performed:

Yes

Medical Certification:

Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations

Last FAA Medical Exam:

01/12/2015

Occupational Pilot:

Yes

Last Flight Review or Equivalent:

03/22/2015

Flight Time:

13231 hours (Total, all aircraft), 5231 hours (Total, this make and model), 13131 hours (Pilot In
Command, all aircraft), 20 hours (Last 90 days, all aircraft), 12 hours (Last 30 days, all aircraft)

Page 3 of 5

CEN15MA290

 Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make:

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS INC

Registration:

N390LG

Model/Series:

AS350B3E

Aircraft Category:

Helicopter

Year of Manufacture:

2013

Amateur Built:

No

Airworthiness Certificate:

Normal

Serial Number:

7595

Landing Gear Type:

High Skid

Seats:

5

Date/Type of Last Inspection:

07/02/2015, AAIP

Certified Max Gross Wt.:

5225 lbs

Engines:

1 Turbo Shaft

Time Since Last Inspection:
Airframe Total Time:

487.4 Hours at time of
accident

Engine Manufacturer:

Turbomeca

ELT:

C126 installed, activated, did
not aid in locating accident

Engine Model/Series:

Arriel 2D

Registered Owner:

AIR METHODS CORP

Rated Power:

802 hp

Operator:

AIR METHODS CORP

Operating Certificate(s)
Held:

Rotorcraft External Load
(133); On-demand Air Taxi
(135)

Operator Designator Code:

QMLA

Operator Does Business As:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site:

Visual Conditions

Condition of Light:

Day

Observation Facility, Elevation:

KCCU, 12028 ft msl

Distance from Accident Site:

7 Nautical Miles

Observation Time:

1335 UTC

Direction from Accident Site:

200°

Lowest Cloud Condition:

Scattered / 6000 ft agl

Visibility

10 Miles

Lowest Ceiling:

None

Visibility (RVR):

Wind Speed/Gusts:

19 knots / 24 knots

Turbulence Type
Forecast/Actual:

/ None

Wind Direction:

280°

Turbulence Severity
Forecast/Actual:

/ N/A

Altimeter Setting:

30.62 inches Hg

Temperature/Dew Point:

Precipitation and Obscuration:

No Obscuration; No Precipitation

Departure Point:

Frisco, CO (91CO)

Type of Flight Plan Filed:

Company VFR

Destination:

Gypsum, CO

Type of Clearance:

None

Departure Time:

1338 MDT

Type of Airspace:

Class G

18°C / -2°C

Airport Information
Airport:

SUMMIT MEDICAL CENTER (91CO)

Runway Surface Type:

Asphalt; Concrete

Airport Elevation:

9042 ft

Runway Surface Condition:

Dry

Runway Used:

H1

IFR Approach:

None

Runway Length/Width:

100 ft / 100 ft

VFR Approach/Landing:

None

Page 4 of 5

CEN15MA290

 Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries:

1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage:

Destroyed

Passenger Injuries:

2 Serious

Aircraft Fire:

On-Ground

Ground Injuries:

N/A

Aircraft Explosion:

On-Ground

Total Injuries:

1 Fatal, 2 Serious

Latitude, Longitude:

39.568611, -106.079444 (est)

Administrative Information
Investigator In Charge (IIC):

Jennifer Rodi

Additional Participating Persons:

Matt Rigsby; FAA AVP-100; Washington, DC

Adopted Date:

05/09/2017

Phil Potter; FAA Denver FSDO; Denver, CO
Seth Buttner; Airbus; Grand Prairie, TX
Brian Larimore; Turbomeca; Grand Prairie, TX
Dennis McCall; Air Methods Corporation; Denver, CO
Ed Stenby; OPEIU - Local 109; Denver, CO
Vincent Ecalle; BEA
Publish Date:

05/09/2017

Note:

The NTSB traveled to the scene of this accident.

Investigation Docket:

http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/dockList.cfm?mKey=91489

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), established in 1967, is an independent federal agency mandated
by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine
the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate
the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB makes public its actions and
decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and
statistical reviews.
The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence
or use of any part of an NTSB report related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a
matter mentioned in the report.

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CEN15MA290