Airbus AS350 accident near Peach Springs, Arizona, August 24, 2016
On August 24, 2016 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 2013 Airbus AS350 (helicopter), registered N839PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Peach Springs, Arizona (Grand Canyon West airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 failure to maintain clearance from terrain while hover taxiing backward, resulting in the tail striking terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2016 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Peach Springs, Arizona · Grand Canyon West · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airbus AS350 B3, built 2013
- Registration
- N839PA · no longer on the register · serial 7675
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that as the helicopter was in a hover and backed off of the landing pad, the vertical stabilizer impacted rising terrain. The pilot further reported that he was able to land back on the landing pad 30 feet away with no further incident. A post examination of the helicopter revealed that the rear vertical stabilizer had received substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,268 hours in all; 271 in this make and model; 221 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 2,164 as pilot in command; 928 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 30, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,903.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 11, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 5,225 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca Arriel 2d (turboshaft); 3,351 hours total
- Operator: Papillon Airways Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 1G4 Peach Springs AZ at 8:45 pm
- Destination: 1G4 Peach Springs AZ
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KIGM, 44 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 11, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.