Eurocopter EC 130 B4 accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona, June 8, 2013
On June 8, 2013 at about 4:35 pm local time, a Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (helicopter), registered N130PH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Canyon, Arizona (Valle Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of throttle control movement during a practice autorotation that was planned to terminate with a power recovery for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the soft terrain, which resulted in the skid getting caught, the nose-down movement of the helicopter, and subsequent main rotor contact with the tailboom.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2013 · about 4:35 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Canyon, Arizona · Valle Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter EC 130 B4 · all EC 130 B4s on the register
- Registration
- N130PH · no longer on the register · serial 3670
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the flight instructor to train a newly hired pilot in the company's normal operating procedures. After performing numerous autorotation maneuvers, the flight instructor rolled the throttle twist grip to the "idle positon" to conduct a simulated engine failure and autorotation, which he intended to terminate with a power recovery. After configuring the helicopter for an appropriate airspeed and while descending through 200 ft above ground level, he attempted to roll the twist grip from the "idle" to the "flight" position to increase engine power; however, he was not able to roll the twist grip at all. The flight instructor continued the autorotation to landing, and the helicopter touched down on soft terrain. A skid then got caught in the soft terrain, which resulted in the nose-down movement of the helicopter and the main rotor blades severing the tailboom. Postaccident examinations of the collective system revealed some anomalies; however, none of the anomalies would have resulted in the loss of throttle control movement. If the landing had been made on a hard surface, it is unlikely that the skid would have gotten caught. Following the accident, the operator changed its procedures to require that the manipulation of the throttle twist grip only be done over a hard landing surface and at an airport.
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
- Autorotation Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,713 hours in all; 501 in this make and model; 131 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 2,569 as pilot in command; 1,174 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,600 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,638 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 28, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 16, 2013; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B1 (turboshaft); 1,825 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 40G Grand Canyon AZ at 3:15 pm
- Destination: 40G Grand Canyon AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from GCN, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.