The pilot of a PHI, Inc. helicopter that crashed on the roof of the University of New Mexico hospital on April 9 reported that the pedals on his Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 were jammed or locked in the neutral position prior to the accident.
According to a preliminary report issued by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft was departing from the hospital rooftop helipad in Albuquerque, N.M., for a repositioning flight when it began to yaw in a counterclockwise direction as it lifted off the helipad. The helicopter completed several rotations before it impacted the rooftop, and came to rest adjacent the helipad.
The commercial pilot and two paramedics on board the aircraft received only minor injuries, but the helicopter was substantially damaged. Although a small post-crash fire started, it was extinguished shortly after the helipad’s fire suppression system activated.
According to the NTSB report, “The pilot reported that he had completed all pre-takeoff hydraulic checks and that after liftoff, he commanded a slight left turn. However, the helicopter kept turning and entered a spin. The pilot added that the pedals were jammed or locked, in the neutral position.”
In its preliminary investigation of the accident, the NTSB confirmed continuity of the helicopter’s drive unit throughout the tail rotor system, and all major structural components of the helicopter were accounted for on scene. The wreckage was recovered from the hospital’s rooftop and transported to a secure location for further examination.
To read the complete report on the NTSB website, click here.
