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20020409009159A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Aerosp SA319B · Altoona, FL · April 9, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 9, 2002 · 11:23 local
Place
Altoona, FL
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
E7LL
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N2UH
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA02TA082
Reported as
Aerosp SA319B
Fatal injuries
0
N2UHRegistration cancelled May 4, 2015 · Aerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE IIIS/N 2050 · Built 1973Airframe modelAerospatiale SA319B ALOUETTE IIIEngine modelTurbomeca ASTAZOU 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) Mr. Thomas l. shirkey, PIC, was landing N2UH, a SA-319-B helicopter, on the landing pad located at ocala fire control center, ocala national forest, Florida. The helicopter brakes were not working and the chief pilot, Mr. Rob fulton, was standing by with chocks to secure the wheels upon landing. As the helicopter touched down it began to move forward toward the maintenance hanger. Mr. Fulton was unable to secure the helicopter and Mr. Shirkey had no way to stop the forward motion except to bring the helicopter back up to a hover and attempt another landing. As he attempted to bring the aircraft up to a hover and stop the forward movement the aircraft encountered "ground resonance" which he was unable to control. The aircraft started shaking violently, and Mr. Shirkey lost all control of the helicopter at this point. The main rotor system struck the aircraft tail boom causing the tail rotor and tail section to separate from the aircraft. The transmission and main rotor system also separated from the aircraft at this time. The main section of the helicopter remained upright and the pilot was unharmed while the passenger received a broken left forearm and severe bruises to his left upper leg.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MR. THOMAS L. SHIRKEY, PIC, WAS LANDING N2UH, A SA-319-B HELICOPTER, ON THE LANDING PAD LOCATED AT OCALA FIRE CONTROL CENTER, OCALA NATIONAL FOREST, FLORIDA. THE HELICOPTER BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND THE CHIEF PILOT, MR. ROB FULTON, WAS STANDING BY WITH CHOCKS TO SECURE THE WHEELS UPON LANDING. AS THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IT BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARD THE MAINTENANCE HANGER. MR. FULTON WAS UNABLE TO SECURE THE HELICOPTER AND MR. SHIRKEY HAD NO WAY TO STOP THE FORWARD MOTION EXCEPT TO BRING THE HELICOPTER BACK UP TO A HOVER AND ATTEMPT ANOTHER LANDING. AS HE ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A HOVER AND STOP THE FORWARD MOVEMENT THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED "GROUND RESONANCE" WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY, AND MR. SHIRKEY LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AT THIS POINT. THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM STRUCK THE AIRCRAFT TAIL BOOM CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL SECTION TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE TRANSMISSION AND MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME. THE MAIN SECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT AND THE PILOT WAS UNHARMED WHILE THE PASSENGER RECEIVED A BROKEN LEFT FOREARM AND SEVERE BRUISES TO HIS LEFT UPPER LEG.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB MIA02TA082Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportAltoona, FLThe intentional operation of the helicopter with known deficiencies in equipment (inoperative normal brakes), and the pilot's improper use of the cyclic flight controls after the helicopter started rolling following touchdown.Apr 9, 2002 · Substantial damage