AS-350B3 RA-04032 20.11.2014

Accident date20.11.2014
Investigation status
Aircraft registration numberRA-04032
Place of aircraft departure
Airport of departure
Intended destination
Intended Airport of arrival
Accident sitein Mikhalchikovo locality of Kstocsky district of the Nizhni Novgorod Region
Latitude
Longitude
Aircraft typeAS 350 B3
Serial №
Aircraft operator
Aircraft owner"Nano Stroy Invest" LLC
The date of the completion of the investigation (report)25.06.2015
Number of fatalities5
Victims accuracy
Degree of aircraft destruction
Report

report_ra-04032.pdf (2.94 MB)

Aviation typeGA
Works type
Note

21 november 2014

     The accident with AS-350B3 RA-04032 helicopter owned by "Nano Stroy Invest" LLC occurred in Mikhalchikovo locality, Kstocsky district, Nizhni Novgorod Region (RF) on November 20, 2014. According to the available information the pilot and four passsengers on board were killed.
      The Interstate Aviation Committee has formed the Investigation team of this accident in accordance with Russian Aviation Legislation. The Investigation team started its work.
     

25 june 2015

      The Investigation team of the Interstate Aviation Committee has completed the investigation of the accident with AS-350B3 RA-04032 helicopter owned by «NanoStroyInvest" LLC occurred in the Nizhni Novgorod region (RF) on November 20th, 2014.
      The most probable cause of the fatal accident with helicopter AS-350B3 RA-04032 was loss of flight parameters monitoring (firstly over the altitude) during landing approach at night in low visibility conditions and low cloud cover not complying with PIC's meteorological minima for VFR flight.
      Contributing factors could be:
      • failures in the analysis of meteorological conditions by PIC during taking the decision for departure in order to break through clouds resulted in the need of transition to IFR flight which PIC and the helicopter were not authorized for;
      • insufficient PIC's proficiency at this rotorcraft type having the design features of barometric pressure altimetric column (zero altitude at the device bottom) fixed at RA-04032, and the lack of radio altimeter onboard, could result in "illusion" of enough altitude margin during descending and ground cues seeking.  
     
The appropriate safety recommendations based on the investigation results were developed.