Eurocopter AS350B2 accident near Talihina, OK
On June 11, 2013, an Eurocopter AS350B2 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Talihina, OK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 11, 2013
- Place
- Talihina, OK
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350B2 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.757°N, 95.084°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130612X12326
Official records · CEN13FA344
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 11, 2013, at 1830 central daylight time, N935EM, a Eurocopter AS350B2 helicopter, operating as EagleMed 35, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain during takeoff at Choctaw Indian Hospital Heliport (OK35), Talihina, Oklahoma. The medical patient was fatally injured, the flight nurse was seriously injured, and the pilot and flight paramedic sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., Columbus, Ohio, and was operated by EagleMed, LLC, Wichita, Kansas. Day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident and a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) flight. The helicopter was destined for St. Francis Hospital Heliport (4OK3), Tulsa, Oklahoma. When EagleMed 35 arrived at OK35 another helicopter, Life Flight 4, had just landed and was occupying the single space helipad surface. EagleMed 35 landed and shut down on the asphalt surface of a road adjacent to the helipad, and about 103 feet northwest from the helipad. Life Flight 4 departed at 1728 and EagleMed 35 remained parked on the road for the next hour. The patient was loaded onto a stretcher on the left side of the cabin and the medical crewmembers were seated in their forward facing seats behind the pilot and behind the stretcher patient. According to the pilot, he began a normal takeoff from a hover, and he intended to follow the center of the road in a westbound direction. During takeoff the left side of the
Probable cause
The helicopter pilot's failure to see and avoid the 40-ft-tall lamp post during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight evaluation of the obstructions in the takeoff path.
More accidents in OK
- Cessna 421C, Sep 4, 1983
- Cessna 421C, Dec 21, 1995
- Extra EA 400, Aug 4, 2018
- Piper PA-32R-300, Sep 5, 2009
- Cessna 500, Mar 4, 2008
Browse: Oklahoma · 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.
