# Accident 19970521011629A: Aerosp AS365N2, Indianapolis, IN, May 21, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 21, 1997, 07:55 local time
- Place: Indianapolis, IN
- Airport: Indianapolis International
- Phase of flight: Idling Rotors
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7303° N, 86.2901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7303&lon=-86.2901&mi=10
- Aircraft: N653CN (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS365N2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 17,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 140 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA140) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970521011629A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA140), May 21, 1997: Aerospatiale AS-365-N2 (N653CN), Indianapolis, IN, no damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: inadequate visual clearance by the passenger resulting in his being struck with the rotor blade. A factor relating to this accident was the gusting winds.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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