Eurocopter AS350 accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, October 23, 2025
On October 23, 2025 at about 4:00 am local time, a 2006 Eurocopter AS350 (helicopter), registered N545HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wetumpka, Alabama (Wetumpka Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2025 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Wetumpka, Alabama · Wetumpka Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS350 B3, built 2006 · all AS350s on the register
- Registration
- N545HF · registry record · serial 4123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and flight instructor were conducting training exercises in a helicopter at night using night vision goggles. The exercises included four autorotation landings from a hover, each initiated about 4 ft above ground level. The pilot reported that during the second autorotation landing, following the flight instructor’s reduction of power, he reacted prematurely and inadvertently increased the helicopter’s height above the ground, which resulted in a hard landing. Unaware that the helicopter had been damaged, the remainder of the training flight was completed uneventfully. The following day, during a preflight inspection, another flight crew discovered substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot and the flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 3, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,671 hours in all; 59 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 1,588 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 16, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,110 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 23, 2025; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B1 (turboshaft); 7,818 hours total
- Operator: Haynes Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Wetumpka AL at 3:47 am
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from MXF, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMXF 230355Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 10/08 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP195 T01030081=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Director of Operations Notification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Pilot Flying Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Instructor Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record A�� Follow Up Conversation with Dom | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | 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.