Eurocopter EC120B accident near San José De Ocoa, Do, October 15, 2009
On October 15, 2009 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Eurocopter EC120B (helicopter), registered N871SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near San José De Ocoa. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 3 people were killed.
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
- October 15, 2009 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- San José De Ocoa, Dominican Republic · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter EC120B · all EC120Bs on the register
- Registration
- N871SA · no longer on the register · serial 1548
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: not recorded
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.