20030708018589A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Urocop EC120B · Morgan City, LA · July 8, 2003

Date: July 8, 2003 · 11:47 local
Place: Morgan City, LA
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: TXEA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N162TA
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA186
Reported as: Urocop EC120B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,700 total300 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N162TARegistration cancelled Jul 1, 2004 · Eurocopter COLIBRI EC 120BS/N 1001 · Built 1998 Airframe modelEurocopter COLIBRI EC 120B Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIUS-2FTurbo-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) On July 8, 2003, at 1147 CDT, during a hovering manuever, the main rotor blades of N162TA, a Eurocopter model EC-120-B, piloted by Mr. Patrick charles mchugh, struck the main rotor blade tie down fixture of a stationary AS-350-BA, N147BH. The main rotor blade tips of N162TA were shattered by the impact. The commercially rated pilot executed a precautionary landing to the waters of the gulf of Mexico, adjacent to the oil platform, there the helicopter was shutdown using flight manual normal procedures. The pilot an his two passengers were not injured and exited the helicopter into an inflatable raft. The rear two compartments of the helicopters left emergency flotation device was breached during this maneuver causing the helicopter to roll inverted.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 8, 2003, AT 1147 CDT, DURING A HOVERING MANUEVER, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES OF N162TA, A EUROCOPTER MODEL EC-120-B, PILOTED BY MR. PATRICK CHARLES MCHUGH, STRUCK THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIE DOWN FIXTURE OF A STATIONARY AS-350-BA, N147BH. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIPS OF N162TA WERE SHATTERED BY THE IMPACT. THE COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO, ADJACENT TO THE OIL PLATFORM, THERE THE HELICOPTER WAS SHUTDOWN USING FLIGHT MANUAL NORMAL PROCEDURES. THE PILOT AN HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED AND EXITED THE HELICOPTER INTO AN INFLATABLE RAFT. THE REAR TWO COMPARTMENTS OF THE HELICOPTERS LEFT EMERGENCY FLOTATION DEVICE WAS BREACHED DURING THIS MANEUVER CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROLL INVERTED.

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 FTW03LA186Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportShip Shoal 80The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a parked/stationary aircraft.Jul 8, 2003 · Substantial damage