Agusta A109K2 accident near Salt Lake City, UT
On June 8, 2003, an Agusta A109K2 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Salt Lake City, UT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 8, 2003
- Place
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Aircraft
- Agusta A109K2 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.724°N, 111.721°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030616X00878
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 7, 2003, at 2012 mountain daylight time, an Agusta A109K2 helicopter, N123RX, owned by IHC Hospitals, Incorporated, and operated as IHC Life Flight was destroyed when it impacted a hillside 13.7 miles southeast of the Salt Lake International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The positioning flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. A company visual flight rules flight plan was on file. The airline transport pilot piloting the helicopter was fatally injured. A paramedic on board sustained minor injuries. A flight nurse on board reported no injuries. The local flight originated from a southeast Salt Lake City residential area at 2011, and was en route to SLC. The flight nurse reported they had just finished rescuing a lost hiker and were preparing to return to their home base. The pilot informed her that dispatch wanted them to proceed home because the helicopter was due for a 25-hour inspection. The pilot told the flight nurse that he would drop her off at the hospital where she was picked up earlier, on his way back to SLC. The pilot mentioned that he needed to return to the location where they picked up the hiker so he could get an altitude reading. Before taking off, search and rescue personnel warned the pilot of paragliders in the area. The flight nurse said the pilot acknowledged them, and then took off and proceeded southbound. The flight nurse said they were climbing out when she heard a loud noise. She said it seemed to come from beneat
Probable cause
Fatigue of the tail rotor trunnion resulting in complete trunnion failure and subsequent tail rotor separation from the helicopter. Factors contributing to the accident were the low altitude, low airspeed, excessive tail rotor loading, and the worn tail-rotor blade grip bushings.
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Browse: Utah · Agusta aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
