On November 14, 2009, about 0201 Pacific standard time, an Aerospatiale AS350BA, N5793P, collided with terrain near Doyle, California. Mountain Lifeflight was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a positioning flight. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were killed; impact forces and a post crash fire destroyed the helicopter. The cross-country positioning flight departed Reno, Nevada, about 0143 with a planned destination of Susanville, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The helicopter departed its home base at Susanville Airport at 0009, picked up a patient at Banner Hospital in Susanville, and departed for Reno at 0038. It arrived at a hospital in Reno at 0111.

After departing the Reno hospital, the medical crew made position reports every 10 minutes to their dispatch in Susanville. They reported Hallelujah Junction at 0153. At 0201, dispatch received a garbled call indicating that the helicopter was going down.

Law enforcement personnel interviewed a witness who was in a car on a nearby highway. The witness observed the helicopter flying straight and level, and then descend vertically at a rapid rate. The witness lost sight of it behind terrain, and then observed a fireball.

On site examination revealed that the helicopter touched down on a 20-degree down slope of uneven terrain on a magnetic heading of 230 degrees. The airframe, engine, and transmission fragmented as they continued downhill.

The wreckage has been recovered for detailed examinations.

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