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20030222001949A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 407 · Gulf Of Mexico · February 22, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 22, 2003 · 09:45 local
Place
Gulf Of Mexico
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
HEEL
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N740PH
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW03LA101
Reported as
Bell 407
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
5,061 total14 in this make and model46 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.

(.19) On February 22, 2003, approximately 0945 central standard time, a Bell 407 single-engine helicopter, N740PH, was not damaged when the main rotor blades contacted a passenger during hot refueling operation on offshore platform high island 443 (hi 443), in the Gulf Of Mexico. The airline transport pilot and a passenger were not injured, and another passenger sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by petroleum helicopters inc., lafayette, Louisiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the title 14 code of federal regulations part 135 non-scheduled on demand domestic air taxi flight. The flight had landed at the platform for an intermediate fuel stop with a destination of offshore platform west cameron 407 (wc 407), in the Gulf Of Mexico. The pilot, in an interview conducted by an FAA inspector, reported that he landed the helicopter on hi 443 to refuel prior to proceeding to wc 407. After the helicopter landed, the pilot asked if the passengers if they were trained to refuel the helicopter with the engine and rotors operating. The passengers reported that they had completed that type of operation before. During the refueling operation, a wind gust started to push the helicopter on the platform. The pilot immediately began to shutdown the helicopter engine and applied the main rotor blade brake. The helicopter continued to slide and came to rest approximately 1 foot from the edge of the platform. After the helicopter came to rest, the pilot noticed that the main rotor blades contacted a passenger. (-23) during hot refueling with passengers assisting and the pilot at the controls on off-shore platform, helicopter slid toward edge of platform because of gusty winds and toward passenger. Passenger jumped out of fueling bay where he was preparing to commence fueling and passed in front of helicopter. Rotor blade struck passenger in head causing fatal injury.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 22, 2003, APPROXIMATELY 0945 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 407 SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N740PH, WAS NOT DAMAGED WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED A PASSENGER DURING HOT REFUELING OPERATION ON OFFSHORE PLATFORM HIGH ISLAND 443 (HI 443), IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED, AND ANOTHER PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC., LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 NON-SCHEDULED ON DEMAND DOMESTIC AIR TAXI FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT HAD LANDED AT THE PLATFORM FOR AN INTERMEDIATE FUEL STOP WITH A DESTINATION OF OFFSHORE PLATFORM WEST CAMERON 407 (WC 407), IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE PILOT, IN AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR, REPORTED THAT HE LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON HI 443 TO REFUEL PRIOR TO PROCEEDING TO WC 407. AFTER THE HELICOPTER LANDED, THE PILOT ASKED IF THE PASSENGERS IF THEY WERE TRAINED TO REFUEL THE HELICOPTER WITH THE ENGINE AND ROTORS OPERATING. THE PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT THEY HAD COMPLETED THAT TYPE OF OPERATION BEFORE. DURING THE REFUELING OPERATION, A WIND GUST STARTED TO PUSH THE HELICOPTER ON THE PLATFORM. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SHUTDOWN THE HELICOPTER ENGINE AND APPLIED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE BRAKE. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO SLIDE AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT FROM THE EDGE OF THE PLATFORM. AFTER THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED A PASSENGER. (-23) DURING HOT REFUELING WITH PASSENGERS ASSISTING AND THE PILOT AT THE CONTROLS ON OFF-SHORE PLATFORM, HELICOPTER SLID TOWARD EDGE OF PLATFORM BECAUSE OF GUSTY WINDS AND TOWARD PASSENGER. PASSENGER JUMPED OUT OF FUELING BAY WHERE HE WAS PREPARING TO COMMENCE FUELING AND PASSED IN FRONT OF HELICOPTER. ROTOR BLADE STRUCK PASSENGER IN HEAD CAUSING FATAL INJURY.

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 FTW03LA101Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportHigh Island 443The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter during the hot refueling operation which resulted in the main rotor blades striking the passenger. A contributing factor was the high wind conditions.Feb 22, 2003 · Minor damage