Eurocopter AS355 accident near Palm Beach, Florida, May 19, 2022
On May 19, 2022 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 1997 Eurocopter AS355 (helicopter), registered N448JM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Palm Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the unlatched engine cowling opening and being struck by a main rotor blade during flight. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to properly secure the cowling following maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2022 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS355 N, built 1997 · all AS355s on the register
- Registration
- N448JM · no longer on the register · serial 5627
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot picked up the helicopter from a repair facility and while flying home heard a “boom,” felt a vibration in the tail, and performed a precautionary landing to a beach. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the engine cowling had become unlatched and was subsequently struck by a main rotor blade. The detached cowling then struck the horizontal stabilizer and tail rotor, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that he did not confirm that the engine cowling latch was properly secured during his preflight inspection. He reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter before the cowling opened and detached.
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 defining event
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Service doors › Inadequate inspection
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,707 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 2,292 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,547.2 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 19, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 5,732 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Eurocopter Turbomeca Arr (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: HWO North Perry FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from BCT, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBCT 191553Z 12006KT 10SM SCT050 32/23 A3003
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 3, 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 | FAA Inspector Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 9 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.