D-HFSC Aerospatiale AS.350 B Ecureuil c/n 1737 - HFS - heliport Emmen, Holland - 24 April 1995

The AS350B is a single-engined utility helicopter that can accommodate up to 7 passengers. Development of the AS 350 Ecureuil started in the early 70s under the Aérospatiale banner. The first flight of an AvcoLycoming LTS101-powered machine took place on 27 June 1994. The second prototype was fitted with an Arriel 1A and took to the air on 14 February 1975. Certification (with a Turboméca Arriel 1B turboshaft powerplant) was achieved in October 1977. The single-engined AS 350B2, powered with a Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine was certified in April 1989. The AS 350 is marketed in North America as the AStar or SuperStar. The helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from France merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group.

On 13 February 1984, the 1983-built Aèrospatiale AS350B Ecureuil s/n 1737 was registered SE-HNF with Sterner Aero in Sweden. On 15 January 1990, the SE-HNF was transferred to Helifly. The registration SE-HNF was cancelled on 13 August 1993. The Ecureuil was sold in Germany and registered D-HFSC with HFS - Helicopter-Flug-Service GmbH in August 1993. In 1995, HFS operated on different times with four of their Ecureuil helicopters, including the D-HFSC, out of the Heli-Holland heliport near Emmen in the Netherlands when on duty with the building of a new high-tension network. The Ecureuils towed the electricity cables from pole to pole on the section Eemshaven - Emmen - Zwolle. On 22 August 2001, AS350B Ecureuil D-HFSC of HFS crashed in an emergency landing due to engine failure, near Beverungen in Germany. The airframe was sold to France, rebuilt as an AS350BA and registered F-GULP in France with Eurotech, Montagna in Valtellina, Italy, on 10 September 2002.