Eurocopter AS 350 B2 accident near Kingfisher, Oklahoma, July 23, 2010
On July 23, 2010, a Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (helicopter), registered N918EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Kingfisher, Oklahoma. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s impaired judgment, due to medications, which led to an abrupt low-level maneuver and subsequent impact with trees and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2010 · cases in 2010
- Place
- Kingfisher, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · all AS 350 B2s on the register
- Registration
- N918EM · registry record · serial 3107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The surviving paramedic reported that while en route to the destination hospital to pick up a patient, a conversation began about flying on a coyote hunt. The pilot abruptly began a low-level maneuver in an attempt to demonstrate a coyote hunt flight. As the pilot maneuvered at low level, the helicopter and main rotor blades impacted trees and then terrain. An examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing performed on specimens from the pilot detected the presence of numerous medications, including hydrocodone (a prescription narcotic for pain treatment), diazempam (a prescription medication with sedative effects) and chlorpheniramine (an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine). It is likely that these medications would have impaired the pilot’s judgment and ability to maintain control of the helicopter. A review of the pilot’s medical history found medical treatment for several conditions that were not reported to the Federal Aviation Administration, the certificate holder, or the operator.
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
What happened, in order
- Abrupt maneuver during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,240 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,355 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 28, 2010; 165 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Eaglemed LLC
The flight
- Departed from: OK19 Oklahoma City OK
- Destination: Okeene OK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on May 8, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crew Statement: Flight Nurse/paramedic Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams: GPS Plot of Entire Flight | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams: Last GPS Plot Looking Back at Helicopter's Path | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo: Wreckage Overview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo: Pilot's Instruments | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo: Engine Overview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo: Module 5 Input Pinion | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: GPS Flight Plots | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Other Pertinent Forms and Reports: Skyconnect Flight Plots | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Medical Factual | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 12 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Original Brief with Revisions | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N918EM on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Airbus Helicopters AS350 AStar (Écureuil), now H125 893 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Airbus Helicopters 267 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 151 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Integris Baptist Medical Center Heliport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Oklahoma 1,300 since 1982 · 181 in the last ten years
- Oklahoma 5,661 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10FA424.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.