20040723017109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L1 · Escalante, UT · July 23, 2004

Date: July 23, 2004 · 15:10 local
Place: Escalante, UT
Airport: Escalante Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Idling Rotors
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: XW9A
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2758C
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN04CA111
Reported as: Bell 206L1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,000 total2,000 in this make and model120 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) The pilot of the helicopter landed next to a refueling truck in order to conduct a "hot fueling" operation. At the end of the refueling, the pilot left the helicopter to assist the ground refueler with the fueling hose. When they were finished refueling the pilot started to walk back towards the helicopter. While walking back to the helicopter the main rotor blades "tipped" down towards the fueling truck and struck the top of the cab. Meanwhile the pilot moved quicker to the helicopter and he was able to bring the aircraft under control and shut down the engine. After seeing that the pilot was conscious, the ground refueler ran to the highway and waved for help.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER LANDED NEXT TO A REFUELING TRUCK IN ORDER TO CONDUCT A "HOT FUELING" OPERATION. AT THE END OF THE REFUELING, THE PILOT LEFT THE HELICOPTER TO ASSIST THE GROUND REFUELER WITH THE FUELING HOSE. WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED REFUELING THE PILOT STARTED TO WALK BACK TOWARDS THE HELICOPTER. WHILE WALKING BACK TO THE HELICOPTER THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES "TIPPED" DOWN TOWARDS THE FUELING TRUCK AND STRUCK THE TOP OF THE CAB. MEANWHILE THE PILOT MOVED QUICKER TO THE HELICOPTER AND HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER CONTROL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. AFTER SEEING THAT THE PILOT WAS CONSCIOUS, THE GROUND REFUELER RAN TO THE HIGHWAY AND WAVED FOR HELP.

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 DEN04CA111Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportEscalante, UTthe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. Factors contributing to the accident were the high winds, the gusts, and the refueling truck.Jul 23, 2004 · Substantial damage