Eurocopter France EC 130 B4 accident near Shoals, West Virginia, January 29, 2016
On January 29, 2016 at about 6:03 pm local time, a 2011 Eurocopter France EC 130 B4 (helicopter), registered N133HN, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Shoals, West Virginia. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The improper locking of the rear passenger door by the specialty nurse, which resulted in the door separating from the helicopter in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2016 · about 6:03 pm local time
- Place
- Shoals, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter France EC 130 B4, built 2011 · all EC 130 B4s on the register
- Registration
- N133HN · registry record · serial 7293
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before takeoff for the positioning flight, the specialty nurse slid closed and latched the left rear door. About 5 minutes after departure, while the helicopter was in cruise flight, the left rear door opened and then separated from the helicopter. The pilot diverted the helicopter to a nearby airport and landed uneventfully. The door was recovered, and postaccident examination revealed that the damage to the door and the airframe was consistent with the damage having incurred during the door's separation from the helicopter. Postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of preexisting damage of the door frame, door, or door's locking mechanism that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the specialty nurse locked the door incorrectly, which resulted in an inadvertent in-flight door opening as the helicopter was traveling 55 knots faster than the manufacturer's specified never-to-exceed speed for operating with the door open, and subsequent separation of the door from the helicopter.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Other/unknown
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,806 hours in all; 647 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,805 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Cabin Crew
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,613 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 19, 2016; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca 2B1 (turboshaft); 1,657 hours total
- Operator: Air Methods Corporation
The flight
- Departed from: WV27 Huntington WV at 5:57 pm
- Destination: None Louisa KY
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from HTS, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 13, 2018. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight and Specialty Nurse Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Helicopter Flight Manual Excerpt (Never Exceed Speeds) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 8 pages | 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.