Aerospatiale AS350 accident near Montgomery, TX
On March 27, 2019, an Aerospatiale AS350 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Montgomery, TX. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 27, 2019
- Place
- Montgomery, TX
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 30.510°N, 95.771°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190327X81509
Official records · CEN19FA109
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn March 27, 2019, about 1410 central daylight time, an Airbus AS350B3 helicopter, N818MC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Montgomery, Texas. The pilot was seriously injured, one crew member was fatally injured, and another crew member sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a public flight. The helicopter and United States Forest Service (USFS) crew were conducting plastic sphere dispenser (PSD) applications in support of a controlled fire operation in an area of the Sam Houston National Forest. The pilot and surviving crew member reported that, after completing the application, they began flying back to the staging area when the engine lost total power. The helicopter descended into trees and subsequently impacted terrain, coming to rest on its right side. The surviving crew member and pilot were able to exit the helicopter; however, the second crew member was partially ejected from the helicopter and sustained fatal injuries. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe helicopter came to rest in a wooded area of the Sam Houston National Forest, at an elevation of 328 ft mean sea level on a 108° magnetic heading. All major components of the helicopter were located at the accident scene. Trees surrounding the accident site were about 70 ft tall and displayed damage consistent with a helicopter descent vector of about 40-50°. There was no post impact fire. The fuel line between the firewall and hydro-mechanical unit (HMU) was loose and the required safety wire was not installed. All other connections were found to
Probable cause
Maintenance personnel's failure to properly re-install and secure a fuel line, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
More accidents in TX
- Kubicek BB85, Jul 30, 2016
- Robertson C-414, Jul 29, 1982
- Textron Aviation B-300, Jun 30, 2019
- Beech B100, Nov 26, 1983
- Consolidated-Vultee PBY-6A, Oct 13, 1984
Browse: Texas · Aerospatiale 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.
