Aerospatiale 350D incident near Near Winter Par, Colorado, July 31, 1982
On July 31, 1982 at about 2:30 am local time, a Aerospatiale 350D (helicopter), registered N49556, suffered minor damage in an incident near Near Winter Par, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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
- July 31, 1982 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Near Winter Par, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale 350D
- Registration
- N49556 · no longer on the register · serial 1008
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES WHO WERE ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFTS ROTOR STRUCK A TREE DURING A "STRAFFING RUN" ON A RAILROAD TRESTLE JUST BELOW THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FLAMED OUT AS HE PASSED OVER THE TRESTLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AUTOROTATED SUCCESSFULLY TO A FIRE ROAD WITH ONLY MINOR DAMAGE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION THE ENGINE WAS FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND RAN NORMAL AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED IN ANY OTHER COMPONENTS. IT WAS NOTED THAT ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD BEEN DAMAGED DURING THE INCIDENT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 580 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 101-600A-2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Near Winter Par CO at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Near Winter Par CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.