Eurocopter SA315B accident near Alva, Oklahoma, March 30, 2012
On March 30, 2012 at about 2:43 pm local time, a Eurocopter SA315B (helicopter), registered N929JV, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Alva, Oklahoma. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the current and previous operators to comply with the manufacturer's maintenance procedures for operation in sandy environments, which resulted in turbine case erosion and the subsequent uncontained engine failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2012 · about 2:43 pm local time
- Place
- Alva, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter SA315B
- Registration
- N929JV · no longer on the register · serial 2361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was flying at 300 feet above the ground with an external load when the pilot heard a loud noise from the engine and the rotor rpm began to decay. He jettisoned the load and entered an autorotation. During the flare, the helicopter's main rotor blades contacted the tail rotor drive shaft. Engine disassembly and examination revealed that the turbine casing was deeply eroded by particles that had accumulated in the casing as a result of operating in dusty environments. The erosion caused a crack to develop, and non-uniform overheating of the engine led to the partial melting of the nozzle guide vanes and the rupture of the blade tips in all three turbine stages. Uncontained debris then punctured the turbine casing and shroud. According to the helicopter's maintenance records, the helicopter had operated 68 hours past a 100-hour inspection. The erosion in the engine was likely preexisting since it had been purchased second hand. Further, the records contained no entries pertaining to compliance with the manufacturer's maintenance procedures, by either the current or previous owner, for operations in sandy environments. The current operator reported that they have since complied with the manufacturer’s procedures.
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
- Uncontained engine failure during enroute defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) › Turbine section › Failure
- cause Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of maintenance › Operator
- cause Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of reg compliance › Operator
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,500 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 161 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 17,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,160 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 23, 2012; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,070 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Artouste IIIB (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Trans Aero, Ltd.
The flight
- Departed from: KAVK Alva OK at 1:30 pm
- Destination: KAVK Alva OK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 1:50 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 3, 2012. 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 | NTSB Form 6120, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | BEA, Technical Document, Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Left Front of Helicopter. Main Rotor Blades Have Been Removed to Effect Retrieval. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Right Side of Helicopter. Tail Rotor Drive Shaft Is Bent and Some Hangers Are Damaged. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 3 - Left Side of Helicopter and Engine with Hole in Turbine Case. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.