American Eurocopter CORP AS350B3 accident near Grand Praire, Texas, July 15, 2014
On July 15, 2014 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2012 American Eurocopter CORP AS350B3 (helicopter), registered N350GP, was substantially damaged in an accident during emergency descent near Grand Praire, Texas (Grand Prairie Manicipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's hard landing during a practice autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2014 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Praire, Texas · Grand Prairie Manicipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Eurocopter CORP AS350B3, built 2012
- Registration
- N350GP · no longer on the register · serial 7240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was scheduled as recurrent training in helicopters; the foreign rated pilot was accompanied by a flight instructor, and an interpreter and observer who were seated in the back seats. After a series of maneuvers, the foreign pilot conducted a hovering autorotation, following directions from the flight instructor which were translated by the interpreter. During the autorotation, the helicopter yawed slightly right and settled to the ground. The instructor and observer noted that the landing did not feel that hard, but more like a firm or rough landing. The training flight continued with several other autorotations. During a post flight inspection of the helicopter, several wrinkles were found in the tail boom of the helicopter. Further examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail boom had sustained substantial damage.
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
- Simulated/training event during emergency descent
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,752 hours in all; 192 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,185 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: foreign licence
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 359 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 14, 2014
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Arriel 2D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airbus Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: KGPM Grand Praire TX
- Destination: KGPM Grand Praire TX
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.