Aerospatiale AS350B accident near Wixom, Michigan, October 5, 1990
On October 5, 1990 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350B (helicopter), registered N48CD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wixom, Michigan (Spencer Field). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1990 · about 3:20 pm local time · cases in 1990
- Place
- Wixom, Michigan · Spencer Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350B · all AS350Bs on the register
- Registration
- N48CD · registry record · serial 1883
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: City of Detroit
The flight
- Departed from: 1G4
- Destination: 1G4
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N48CD on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aerospatiale AS350 65 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aerospatiale 178 aircraft on the register
- Grand Canyon West Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Michigan 2,103 since 1982 · 226 in the last ten years
- Michigan 7,224 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI91TL%2301.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.