What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter landed on ramp and passenger was struck by rotating main rotor blade. (.4)the pilot said that he was delivering the passenger and his associate to their company's corporate ramp. 'I landed, taxied in, shut down the engines, and had applied the rotor brake. My passengers were deplaning from the right side of the helicopter with the help of line personnel.' The passenger 'walked forward of the helicopter and turned left into the tip path plane of the rotor system. The passenger was struck in the left temple by a main rotor blade.' The condition of the ramp was good. The static flex clearance of the helicopter blade was determined to decrease at increased wind velocities. The surface winds at 0756 EST were reported as 040 at 14 gusting to 21 knots. (-23) on the morning of may 21, 1997, the Indianapolis flight standards district office investigated a helicopter accident that occurred on the Indianapolis International corporate ramp of conseco inc. Mr. Lawrence inlow, an executive vice president of conseco, inc., was fatally injured when he was struck by the blade of a dauphin helicopter. Mr. Inlow and Mr. Colliflower, another conseco employee, had been picked up at the company's corporate helipad in carmel, Indiana and were deplaneing the helicopter at the company's Indianapolis corporate ramp to board a Cessna citation for the continuation of their planned trip. Mr. Inlow was given his briefcase by a company mechanic that was retrieved form the baggage compartment. The mechanichad greeted the arriving helicopter and was given the briefcase from the flight observer. Mr. Inlow then proceeded toward the front of the helicopter, turned towards the left, and was struck along the center line of the helicopter, directly in front of the pilot. The rotor blade struck Mr. Inlow about 6 inches from the tip. The rotor was turning approximately 10 rpm's. the blade traveled between 6 and 8 feet after striking Mr. Inlow. It appears to this investigator that the rotor blade was at its lowest point during rotation, the winds had just gone to gusty conditions and Mr. Inlow was a tall individual. All of these factors contributed to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER LANDED ON RAMP AND PASSENGER WAS STRUCK BY ROTATING MAIN ROTOR BLADE. (.4)THE PILOT SAID THAT HE WAS DELIVERING THE PASSENGER AND HIS ASSOCIATE TO THEIR COMPANY'S CORPORATE RAMP. 'I LANDED, TAXIED IN, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES, AND HAD APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE. MY PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER WITH THE HELP OF LINE PERSONNEL.' THE PASSENGER 'WALKED FORWARD OF THE HELICOPTER AND TURNED LEFT INTO THE TIP PATH PLANE OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE PASSENGER WAS STRUCK IN THE LEFT TEMPLE BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE.' THE CONDITION OF THE RAMP WAS GOOD. THE STATIC FLEX CLEARANCE OF THE HELICOPTER BLADE WAS DETERMINED TO DECREASE AT INCREASED WIND VELOCITIES. THE SURFACE WINDS AT 0756 EST WERE REPORTED AS 040 AT 14 GUSTING TO 21 KNOTS. (-23) ON THE MORNING OF MAY 21, 1997, THE INDIANAPOLIS FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE INVESTIGATED A HELICOPTER ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON THE INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE RAMP OF CONSECO INC. MR. LAWRENCE INLOW, AN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF CONSECO, INC., WAS FATALLY INJURED WHEN HE WAS STRUCK BY THE BLADE OF A DAUPHIN HELICOPTER. MR. INLOW AND MR. COLLIFLOWER, ANOTHER CONSECO EMPLOYEE, HAD BEEN PICKED UP AT THE COMPANY'S CORPORATE HELIPAD IN CARMEL, INDIANA AND WERE DEPLANEING THE HELICOPTER AT THE COMPANY'S INDIANAPOLIS CORPORATE RAMP TO BOARD A CESSNA CITATION FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THEIR PLANNED TRIP. MR. INLOW WAS GIVEN HIS BRIEFCASE BY A COMPANY MECHANIC THAT WAS RETRIEVED FORM THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. THE MECHANICHAD GREETED THE ARRIVING HELICOPTER AND WAS GIVEN THE BRIEFCASE FROM THE FLIGHT OBSERVER. MR. INLOW THEN PROCEEDED TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER, TURNED TOWARDS THE LEFT, AND WAS STRUCK ALONG THE CENTER LINE OF THE HELICOPTER, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PILOT. THE ROTOR BLADE STRUCK MR. INLOW ABOUT 6 INCHES FROM THE TIP. THE ROTOR WAS TURNING APPROXIMATELY 10 RPM'S. THE BLADE TRAVELED BETWEEN 6 AND 8 FEET AFTER STRIKING MR. INLOW. IT APPEARS TO THIS INVESTIGATOR THAT THE ROTOR BLADE WAS AT ITS LOWEST POINT DURING ROTATION, THE WINDS HAD JUST GONE TO GUSTY CONDITIONS AND MR. INLOW WAS A TALL INDIVIDUAL. ALL OF THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.