Aerospatiale AS 355F1 accident near Temple Bar, Arizona, December 6, 2009
On December 6, 2009 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS 355F1 (helicopter), registered N548SA, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Temple Bar, Arizona. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s diverted attention during the preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 2009 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Temple Bar, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS 355F1 · all AS 355F1s on the register
- Registration
- N548SA · registry record · serial 5167
- 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 after arriving to work late he began his preflight inspection on the helicopter. As the pilot was inspecting the left engine, the refueling truck arrived and the pilot lowered the left engine cowling door and tended to the refueling of the helicopter. The pilot said that following the refueling of the helicopter, he continued his preflight inspection and subsequently boarded the passengers “not realizing I left the engine cowling ‘unlatched’.” While en route to the flight’s intended destination, the pilot heard a “pop” followed by feedback in the cyclic control. The pilot was informed by the pilot of a second helicopter that the left engine cowling appeared to be open and partially separated. The pilot initiated a precautionary landing to the desert surface and landed without further incident. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that two of the three main rotor blades were damaged. One main rotor blade exhibited a one-inch-long gouge about one-quarter of an inch in depth near the blade root. A portion of the left engine cowling was separated and not located.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › (general) › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 2,928 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 15, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,390 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 22, 2009; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,950 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Allison 250-C20 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Allison 250-C20 SER (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Heliusa Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Grand Canyon AZ
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from LVS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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 WPR10LA075.