What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On June 29, 2002, at 1000 central daylight time, a Bell 206L3 helicopter, N255EV, was substantially damaged when the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tailboom while attempting to shutdown while on an off-shore platform in the gulf of Mexico known as brazos A-19. The instrument rated commercial pilot, sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. The helicopter was owned and operated by evergreen helicopters international, inc., an on-demand air taxi operator based at galveston, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 code of federal regulations part 91 positioning flight for which a company VFR flight plan was filed. The positioning flight originated about 5 minutes prior to the accident from another nearby offshore platform known as brazos A-19 jd. The pilot reported that he was well aware of the convective activity approaching the offshore platform. The pilot reported that after landing at the helipad for the brazos A-19 platform, which is located 200 feet off the surface of the ocean, he aligned the helicopter into the prevailing headwind and initiated the engine shutdown procedures. The pilot stated that when he applied the rotor brake,the main rotor blades impacted and severed the tailboom. The winds at the platform at the time of the landing were reported as "steady" from 135 degrees at 20 knots. The pilot reported that the winds gusted in excess of 70 knots when the helicopter encountered the microburst. The operator reported that the effect of the microburst spun the helicopter about 15 feet toward the center of the platform after the tailboom was severed. (-23) pilot stated that after landing, during engine shutdown, wind increased to 50-60 KTS the main rotor system became unbalanced striking the tailboom. Pilot stated the rotor brake appeared to fail to stop the main rotor. This accident occurred on oil platform #BA-A19B, gulf of Mexico, scene not accessible. Aircraft was inspected at the operators facility.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JUNE 29, 2002, AT 1000 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206L3 HELICOPTER, N255EV, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHUTDOWN WHILE ON AN OFF-SHORE PLATFORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO KNOWN AS BRAZOS A-19. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE HELICOPTER, WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY EVERGREEN HELICOPTERS INTERNATIONAL, INC., AN ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI OPERATOR BASED AT GALVESTON, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT FOR WHICH A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE POSITIONING FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FROM ANOTHER NEARBY OFFSHORE PLATFORM KNOWN AS BRAZOS A-19 JD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY APPROACHING THE OFFSHORE PLATFORM. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER LANDING AT THE HELIPAD FOR THE BRAZOS A-19 PLATFORM, WHICH IS LOCATED 200 FEET OFF THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN, HE ALIGNED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE PREVAILING HEADWIND AND INITIATED THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE,THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. THE WINDS AT THE PLATFORM AT THE TIME OF THE LANDING WERE REPORTED AS "STEADY" FROM 135 DEGREES AT 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WINDS GUSTED IN EXCESS OF 70 KNOTS WHEN THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED THE MICROBURST. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE EFFECT OF THE MICROBURST SPUN THE HELICOPTER ABOUT 15 FEET TOWARD THE CENTER OF THE PLATFORM AFTER THE TAILBOOM WAS SEVERED. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT AFTER LANDING, DURING ENGINE SHUTDOWN, WIND INCREASED TO 50-60 KTS THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM BECAME UNBALANCED STRIKING THE TAILBOOM. PILOT STATED THE ROTOR BRAKE APPEARED TO FAIL TO STOP THE MAIN ROTOR. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON OIL PLATFORM #BA-A19B, GULF OF MEXICO, SCENE NOT ACCESSIBLE. AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AT THE OPERATORS FACILITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.