S.N.I.A.S. AS350 accident near Gold Strike, Nevada, April 24, 1982
On April 24, 1982 at about 8:15 pm local time, a S.N.I.A.S. AS350 (helicopter), registered N5768Z, suffered minor damage in an accident near Gold Strike, Nevada. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1982 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gold Strike, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- S.N.I.A.S. AS350
- Registration
- N5768Z · no longer on the register · serial 1304
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF THE GRAND CANYON. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PASSENGERS WANTED TO GET OUT WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS UNDERGOING ITS TWO-MINUTE, COOL-DOWN PERIOD. THE PILOT ESCORTED FOUR OF THE PASSENGERS FROM THE HELICOPTER WHILE AN ATTENDANT WAS ASSISTING A FIFTH PASSENGER IN UNLOADING HER POSSESSIONS. A GUST OF WIND REMOVED THE FIFTH PASSENGER'S HAT, AND SHE WAS STRUCK BY THE MOVING TAIL ROTOR AS SHE CHASED THE HAT. THE PASSENGER DIED SHORTLY AFTER SHE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE OPERATOR HAD 30 TO 40 FLIGHTS A DAY AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOT SHUT DOWN BETWEEN FLIGHTS, BUT THAT THE PASSENGERS WERE ESCORTED.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,450 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 8,450 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 696 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,190 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-600A2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bauer Helicopter, INC
The flight
- Departed from: Gold Strike NV at 10:25 am
- Destination: Gold Strike NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 176°F (80°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.