Aerospatiale AS-350-B2 accident near Telluride, Colorado, April 1, 1994
On April 1, 1994 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350-B2 (helicopter), registered N59715, was substantially damaged in an accident near Telluride, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS WERE UNFAVORABLE WINDS AND IMPROPER APPROACH PLANNING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1994 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Telluride, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350-B2 · all AS-350-B2s on the register
- Registration
- N59715 · no longer on the register · serial 2581
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CONDUCTING A VISUAL APPROACH TO A LANDING ZONE AT 12,800 FEET MSL IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE PILOT MADE A RIGHT TURN FROM DOWN WIND TO BASE TO FINAL WHICH PLACED THE HELICOPTER IN A DOWN SLOPE WIND CONDITION. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED, TURNED TO THE LEFT AROUND THE VERTICAL AXIS, AND IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN BELOW THE LANDING ZONE. THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED AND THE FUSELAGE ROLLED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE DURING WHICH TIME THE PASSENGERS WERE EJECTED. THE INVESTIGATION PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT WAS 4960 POUNDS. ACTUAL GROSS WEIGHT WAS 4375 POUNDS.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,100 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 7,025 as pilot in command; 750 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 560 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 9, 1994; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,960 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: TEX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 16 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from TEX, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
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.