20021226037469A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bolkms BK117A4 · Albany, NY · December 26, 2002

Date: December 26, 2002
Place: Albany, NY
Airport: Amch Heliport
Phase of flight: Starting Engines
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: R7MA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N951AM
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC03LA033
Reported as: Bolkms BK117A4
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,583 total450 in this make and model96 in the last 90 days

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 engine start the rotor blades were flexing from the wind. As the rotor started to turn, one blade struck the left vertical stabilizer, causing the blade to fracture and separate. The rotor continued to rotate and by the third revolution, the blade had hit both vertical stab's, the tail boom and the left engine exhaust duct.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING ENGINE START THE ROTOR BLADES WERE FLEXING FROM THE WIND. AS THE ROTOR STARTED TO TURN, ONE BLADE STRUCK THE LEFT VERTICAL STABILIZER, CAUSING THE BLADE TO FRACTURE AND SEPARATE. THE ROTOR CONTINUED TO ROTATE AND BY THE THIRD REVOLUTION, THE BLADE HAD HIT BOTH VERTICAL STAB'S, THE TAIL BOOM AND THE LEFT ENGINE EXHAUST DUCT.

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 NYC03LA033Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlbany, NYThe inadvertent encounter with a downdraft during engine start, which flexed the main rotor blades and subsequently damaged the tail boom assembly. A factor related to the accident was the failure of the operator to comply with a service bulletin.Dec 26, 2002 · Substantial damage