Eurocopter AS350-B3 accident near Higashikagawa, Jp, September 22, 2011
On September 22, 2011 at about 10:12 am local time, a Eurocopter AS350-B3, registered JA6522, was substantially damaged in an accident near Higashikagawa. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 22, 2011 · about 10:12 am local time
- Place
- Higashikagawa, Japan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350-B3 · all AS350-B3s on the register
- Registration
- JA6522 · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 22, 2011, about 1012 Japan standard time, a Eurocopter AS350-B3 helicopter, Japanese registration JA6522, sustained substantial damage as the result of an in-flight fire in the baggage compartment during cruise flight near Higashikagawa City, Kagawa, Japan. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The helicopter was equipped with a Honeywell Aerospace strobe light system, part number 60-1431-3. The strobe light power supply was mounted in the baggage compartment. This report is for information purposes only. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Japan Transport Safety Board, and contains only the information released by, or obtained from, the Government of Japan. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Japan Transport Safety Board Secretariat 100-98918 Kasumigaseki 2-1-2, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan Phone +81-3-5253-8814 (Direct)
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Shikoku Air Service Co., Ltd.
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.