19890409006799A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bolkms BK 117 A-4 · Houston, TX · April 9, 1989

Date
April 9, 1989 · 06:49 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
GVNA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N120HH
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW89FA078
Reported as
Bolkms BK117A4
Reported engine
Lycoming LTS101650B1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,700 total1,590 in this make and model72 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Tail rotor struck side of building while drifting backwards on vertical takeoff. Began spinning. Dropped to pad.

As the FAA filed it

TAIL ROTOR STRUCK SIDE OF BUILDING WHILE DRIFTING BACKWARDS ON VERTICAL TAKEOFF. BEGAN SPINNING. DROPPED TO PAD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.