20000708024029I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206L-1 · Gulf Of Mexico · July 8, 2000

Date: July 8, 2000 · 14:12 local
Place: Gulf Of Mexico
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ALGA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N206SL
Reported as: Bell 206L1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,200 total1,400 in this make and model206 in the last 90 days

N206SLRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45245 · Built 1979 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250-C28 seriesTurbo-shaft

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.

(-23)During a normal to shallow approach to an offshore platform (west cameron 575B), pilot misjudged three feet termination to hover altitude. The helicopter struck the platform in a nose high altitude causing the rear of the skids to strike the platform first and the helicopter to rock forward. The PIC shutdown the helicopter to inspect for damage and found marks on both tail rotor blades indicating a tail rotor strike. Further investigation revealed that the tail rotor had struck a solar panel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)DURING A NORMAL TO SHALLOW APPROACH TO AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM (WEST CAMERON 575B), PILOT MISJUDGED THREE FEET TERMINATION TO HOVER ALTITUDE. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE PLATFORM IN A NOSE HIGH ALTITUDE CAUSING THE REAR OF THE SKIDS TO STRIKE THE PLATFORM FIRST AND THE HELICOPTER TO ROCK FORWARD. THE PIC SHUTDOWN THE HELICOPTER TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE AND FOUND MARKS ON BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES INDICATING A TAIL ROTOR STRIKE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR HAD STRUCK A SOLAR PANEL.