Aerospatiale AS 350B-2 accident near Granite, Colorado, July 10, 1994
On July 10, 1994 at about 1:48 am local time, a Aerospatiale AS 350B-2 (helicopter), registered N95LG, was destroyed in an accident near Granite, Colorado. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ASSURE MAIN ROTOR CLEARANCE FROM SLOPING TERRAIN WHILE IN A HOVER. THE TERRAIN CONDITION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1994 · about 1:48 am local time
- Place
- Granite, Colorado
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS 350B-2 · all AS 350B-2s on the register
- Registration
- N95LG · registry record · serial 2389
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIR AMBULANCE (EMS) HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED TO PICK UP AN INJURED HIKER ON A 14,000' MOUNTAIN. TERRAIN AT THE PICKUP POINT WAS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 12,200' AND SLOPED APPROXIMATELY 35 DEGREES. GROUND RESCUE PERSONNEL SAID THE PILOT ADVISED THEM HE WOULD PLACE THE HELICOPTER'S RIGHT SKID ON THE MOUNTAIN SLOPE TO ALLOW THEM TO LOAD THE PATIENT ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE. AS THE HELICOPTER HOVERED ABOVE THEM, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK ROCKS. THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT OVER THEIR HEADS, CRASHED, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TUMBLED ABOUT 800' DOWN THE MOUNTAIN.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,207 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,905 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 29, 1994; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rocky Mountain Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: 91CO Frisco CO at 1:17 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from LXV, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW94FA224.