Eurocopter AS 350 B3 accident near Kinston, North Carolina, September 29, 2021
On September 29, 2021 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 2008 Eurocopter AS 350 B3 (helicopter), registered N370NC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Kinston, North Carolina (Kingston Regional Jetport airport). It was an instructional flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 buckling of the tail boom as a result of a hard landing event of undetermined time and location.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2021 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kinston, North Carolina · Kingston Regional Jetport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS 350 B3, built 2008 · all AS 350 B3s on the register
- Registration
- N370NC · registry record · serial 4379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was on a pre-checkride flight and was conducting standard maneuvers as required by the commercial helicopter practical test standards. The flight was uneventful and lasted about an hour. He stated that, during the flight, “we had no hard landings or turbulence;” however, on the postflight checks he immediately noticed buckled metal on the tail boom near the fuselage attachment points. He said he noticed small dents on the bottom and sides of the tail boom when he first flew this helicopter in 2019; however, they were small and were checked pre- and postflight without signs of growth until this flight. An examination and review of the tail boom section by an Airbus representative and NTSB structural engineer noted wrinkled skin damage on the tail boom. Both Airbus and the NTSB agreed that this was very similar to cases in which the tail boom structure has been subjected to loads above the design load. As a result, the tail boom was permanently deformed and the structural strength was compromised, most likely from a hard landing event. The buckling of the lower portion of a semi-monocoque structure such as the tail boom is considered substantial damage since it adversely affects the structural strength and requires major repair or replacement. The exact time and date of the hard landing was not determined.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Equipment monitoring › Operator
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,215 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 6,062 as pilot in command; 2,068 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 30, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,098 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2021; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,172 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Arrie2B1 (turboshaft); 1,098 hours total
- Operator: State Of North Carolina
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Observation at 11:03 am from KISO
Weather report (METAR): KISO 091503Z 0915/1012 23009KT 6SM -SHRA BKN015 TEMPO 0920/0923 3SM TSRA OVC020CB FM100000 VRB03KT P6SM FEW050=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 13, 2022. 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 | Mor Director of Maintenance Damage Assessment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Mor Airbus Damage Assessment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Mor Damage Assessment NTSB | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 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.