Eurocopter AS 350 B2 accident near Seattle, WA

On March 18, 2014, an Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Seattle, WA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

March 18, 2014

Place

Seattle, WA

Aircraft

Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · Helicopter

Injuries

2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

47.620°N, 122.349°W

NTSB ID

20140318X21532

Official records · WPR14FA137

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Records of Communication - Airbus Helicopters: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Record of Communication - Helicopters Incorporated: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

***This report was modified on November 24, 2015, and September 6, 2016. Please the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 18, 2014, about 0738 Pacific daylight time (PDT), an Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter) AS 350 B2, N250FB, was destroyed when it impacted terrain following takeoff from the KOMO TV Heliport (WN16), Seattle, Washington. The helicopter was registered to, and operated by, Helicopters Incorporated, Cahokia, Illinois, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were fatally injured, and one person, located in a stationary vehicle, was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local repositioning flight, which was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot's intended destination was the Renton Municipal Airport (RNT), Renton, Washington. The Electronic News Gathering (ENG) equipped helicopter had landed on the KOMO News helipad about 30 minutes prior to the accident. The purpose was to refuel for its repositioning flight to RNT. A witness who was located on the south side of the helipad reported that he observed the helicopter initially lift off of the helipad to about 15 ft, followed by a muffled sound like a car backfiring. The witness opined that after lifting off it immediately pointed nose up, and began rotating counter-clockwise, after which it rotated out of sight. A second witness, who was stationed in a crane a few hundred feet to the northeast of the helipad, reported th

Probable cause

The loss of helicopter control due to a loss of hydraulic boost to the tail rotor pedal controls at takeoff, followed by a loss of hydraulic boost to the main rotor controls after takeoff. The reason for the loss of hydraulic boost to the main and tail rotor controls could not be determined because of fire damage to hydraulic system components and the lack of a flight recording device.

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Browse: Washington · Eurocopter aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.