20060622014289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bolkms BK117A1 · Westville, FL · June 22, 2006

Date: June 22, 2006 · 01:30 local
Place: Westville, FL
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: BAQA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N913EF
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC06LA073
Reported as: Bolkms BK117A1
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total100 in this make and model45 in the last 90 days

N913EFRegistration cancelled Aug 16, 2013 · Messerschmitt BK 117S/N S-7032 Airframe modelMesserschmitt BK 117

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 landing zone in use had been surveyed and preapproved for use by the air carrier and county officials. The lz had been dug up and graded in preparation for resodding. Neither the county or the operator were aware of the construction until the landing was attempted. The pilot encountered brown out conditions due to blowing dust and lost visual reference to the surface and surrounding area. While attempting to hover/and the aircraft impacted a tree to the left rear of the aircraft. Subsequent main rotor damage and tail rotor impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE LANDING ZONE IN USE HAD BEEN SURVEYED AND PREAPPROVED FOR USE BY THE AIR CARRIER AND COUNTY OFFICIALS. THE LZ HAD BEEN DUG UP AND GRADED IN PREPARATION FOR RESODDING. NEITHER THE COUNTY OR THE OPERATOR WERE AWARE OF THE CONSTRUCTION UNTIL THE LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED BROWN OUT CONDITIONS DUE TO BLOWING DUST AND LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE SURFACE AND SURROUNDING AREA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HOVER/AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE TO THE LEFT REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENT MAIN ROTOR DAMAGE AND TAIL ROTOR IMPACT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

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 ANC06LA073Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPonce de Leon, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from objects while hovering in ground effect, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree. Factors associated with the accident were loose, sand-covered terrain, and the operator's failure to ensure that the…Jun 22, 2006 · Substantial damage