- January 19, 2021, 10:52 AM
The NTSB has concluded that the probable cause of a Grand Canyon helitour that killed five people on Feb. 10, 2018, was “a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, the pilot’s loss of helicopter control, and collision with terrain during approach to land in gusting, tailwind conditions in an area of potential downdrafts and turbulence.” The Airbus Helicopters EC130B4 operated by Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters crashed at 5:20 p.m. local time in rugged terrain near Quartermaster Canyon on the Hualapai Nation in Arizona, three miles east of the Grand Canyon West Airport. All seven aboard survived the initial impact, but three passengers aboard died in the post-crash fire and another two subsequently died of related injuries. The part-time pilot and one passenger survived with severe injuries.