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20040910021709I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Hartford, CT · September 10, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 10, 2004 · 11:00 local
Place
Hartford, CT
Airport
Hartford-Brainard
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7031A
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,040 total1,040 in this make and model175 in the last 90 days
N7031ARegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 2892 · Built 1998Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 helicopter was running at full operating power, with the controls fractioned down, on the taxiway at hfd for the purpose of off-loading the left seat passenger at the conclusion of a photo-flight. As briefed by the pilot, the passenger exited the aircraft to the left front. The helicopter suddenly began an unexpected series of rapid 360 degrees left pedal turns while in contact with the asphalt surface of the taxiway. The pilot brought the helicopter back under control after approximately three and one half full turns. During the first full turn the departing passenger was struck between the shoulder blades by the vertical stabilizer assembly located on the right aft portion of the tail cone and knocked to the ground. The passenger reported that the aircaft's tail rotor passed over him approximately two times as he crawled away from the helicopter. The passenger received minor injuries in the form of scraped knees and significant contusions with visible bruising to his left leg, left arm, back and right wrist and elbow. He was treated and released at the hospital and is seeking follow up medical treatment for his injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HELICOPTER WAS RUNNING AT FULL OPERATING POWER, WITH THE CONTROLS FRACTIONED DOWN, ON THE TAXIWAY AT HFD FOR THE PURPOSE OF OFF-LOADING THE LEFT SEAT PASSENGER AT THE CONCLUSION OF A PHOTO-FLIGHT. AS BRIEFED BY THE PILOT, THE PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT FRONT. THE HELICOPTER SUDDENLY BEGAN AN UNEXPECTED SERIES OF RAPID 360 DEGREES LEFT PEDAL TURNS WHILE IN CONTACT WITH THE ASPHALT SURFACE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE PILOT BROUGHT THE HELICOPTER BACK UNDER CONTROL AFTER APPROXIMATELY THREE AND ONE HALF FULL TURNS. DURING THE FIRST FULL TURN THE DEPARTING PASSENGER WAS STRUCK BETWEEN THE SHOULDER BLADES BY THE VERTICAL STABILIZER ASSEMBLY LOCATED ON THE RIGHT AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL CONE AND KNOCKED TO THE GROUND. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRCAFT'S TAIL ROTOR PASSED OVER HIM APPROXIMATELY TWO TIMES AS HE CRAWLED AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES IN THE FORM OF SCRAPED KNEES AND SIGNIFICANT CONTUSIONS WITH VISIBLE BRUISING TO HIS LEFT LEG, LEFT ARM, BACK AND RIGHT WRIST AND ELBOW. HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED AT THE HOSPITAL AND IS SEEKING FOLLOW UP MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR HIS INJURIES.