Eurocopter AS-350 accident near Georgetown, SC
On September 26, 2009, an Eurocopter AS-350 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Georgetown, SC. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 26, 2009
- Place
- Georgetown, SC
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS-350 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.289°N, 79.342°W
- NTSB ID
- 20090926X65328
Official records · ERA09FA537
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- N417AE Audio Communication Files: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 25, 2009, about 2331 eastern daylight time, a Eurocopter AS350 B2, N417AE, lost control and impacted terrain near Georgetown County Airport (GGE), Georgetown, South Carolina. The certificated commercial pilot, flight nurse, and flight paramedic were fatally injured; the helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to GE Business Financial Services Incorporated and operated by Omniflight Helicopters Incorporated, doing business as Carolina Life Care, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) positioning flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for the flight, which operated on a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The flight originated from Charleston Air Force Base/International Airport (CHS), Charleston, South Carolina, about 2302 and was destined for Conway-Horry County Airport (HYW), Conway, South Carolina. According to Omniflight, the helicopter departed from its base at HYW about 2023 and was destined for Georgetown Memorial Hospital to conduct an interfacility patient transfer to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, South Carolina, which is located about 90 nautical miles (nm) southwest of HYW. According to a Cessna pilot flying in the area before the time of the accident, a small but intense weather cell had been stationary near GGE since about 1640 and forced him to abort his landing approach and divert to CHS. He returned to GGE sometime after 2000 for another landing attempt,
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and a loss of control of the helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate oversight of the flight by Omniflight’s Operational Control Center.
More accidents in SC
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Browse: South Carolina · Eurocopter 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.
