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20050606012719A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes TH-55 · Paintsville, KY · June 6, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 6, 2005 · 18:00 local
Place
Paintsville, KY
Airport
Prestonburg-Combs Field Airport
Phase of flight
Other Ground Ops
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2KX
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD05LA075
Reported as
Hughes TH55
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360B1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,200 total130 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N2KXRegistration cancelled Sep 7, 2017 · Hughes TH-55S/N 66-18349 · Built 1966Airframe modelHughes TH-55Engine modelLycoming HIO-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) On 06/06/2005 at approximately 18:00 hours on the ramp at Combs airport (3I6), aircraft N2KX, a Hughes 269A, went in ground resonance during run up, causing the main rotor blades to strike the tailboom, severing the tailboom and tail rotor gearbox from the airframe, helicopter settled on left side and suffered substantial damage. Pilot had minor injury. Pilot stated: "I did a preflight and normal runup, when collective was pulled up I felt a small jerk to the side, I continued to pull collective up and aircraft would not hover, it then went into ground resonance. I went to the doctor to confirm no injuries other than a small cut to the chin and some soreness in my back. I was not hospitalized or injured." Pilot further stated: aircraft did not leave ground. Eyewitness at scene standing 50 feet in front of helicopter, stated the following: privacy data omitted ^ (the pilot of helicopter at time of accident) was checking the helicopter. Everything looked normal until trying to hover." The helicopter would not hover. It cut the tailboom off and continued to destroy the helicopter."

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 06/06/2005 AT APPROXIMATELY 18:00 HOURS ON THE RAMP AT COMBS AIRPORT (3I6), AIRCRAFT N2KX, A HUGHES 269A, WENT IN GROUND RESONANCE DURING RUN UP, CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE THE TAILBOOM, SEVERING THE TAILBOOM AND TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX FROM THE AIRFRAME, HELICOPTER SETTLED ON LEFT SIDE AND SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT HAD MINOR INJURY. PILOT STATED: "I DID A PREFLIGHT AND NORMAL RUNUP, WHEN COLLECTIVE WAS PULLED UP I FELT A SMALL JERK TO THE SIDE, I CONTINUED TO PULL COLLECTIVE UP AND AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT HOVER, IT THEN WENT INTO GROUND RESONANCE. I WENT TO THE DOCTOR TO CONFIRM NO INJURIES OTHER THAN A SMALL CUT TO THE CHIN AND SOME SORENESS IN MY BACK. I WAS NOT HOSPITALIZED OR INJURED." PILOT FURTHER STATED: AIRCRAFT DID NOT LEAVE GROUND. EYEWITNESS AT SCENE STANDING 50 FEET IN FRONT OF HELICOPTER, STATED THE FOLLOWING: ^PRIVACY ^ (THE PILOT OF HELICOPTER AT TIME OF ACCIDENT) WAS CHECKING THE HELICOPTER. EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL UNTIL TRYING TO HOVER." THE HELICOPTER WOULD NOT HOVER. IT CUT THE TAILBOOM OFF AND CONTINUED TO DESTROY THE HELICOPTER."

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 IAD05LA075Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPaintsville, KYthe pilot's inadvertent encounter with ground resonance which resulted in destruction of the helicopter.Jun 6, 2005 · Destroyed