20030316004139A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 430 · Hartland Twnshp, MI · March 16, 2003

Date: March 16, 2003 · 20:15 local
Place: Hartland Twnshp, MI
Phase of flight: Aerial Taxi From Ldg/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: BAQA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N431UM
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI03LA084
Reported as: Bell 430
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,014 total2,114 in this make and model56 in the last 90 days

N431UMRegistration cancelled Dec 19, 2013 · Bell 430S/N 49040 Airframe modelBell 430

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) Pilot was repositioning helicopter during hours of darkness. He saw two highway delineators, but failed to see the third one, because the reflector was missing from the third post. The tail rotor struck the post, causing damage to the tail rotor and the gearbox.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS REPOSITIONING HELICOPTER DURING HOURS OF DARKNESS. HE SAW TWO HIGHWAY DELINEATORS, BUT FAILED TO SEE THE THIRD ONE, BECAUSE THE REFLECTOR WAS MISSING FROM THE THIRD POST. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE POST, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR AND THE GEARBOX.

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 CHI03LA084Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHighland, MIThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance to the roadway sign. Contributing factors were the failure of the tail rotor gearbox, the roadway sign and the low lighting conditions (night).Mar 17, 2003 · Substantial damage