What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On Sunday October 1st 2006, an exclusive use erickson air-crane S-64 helicopter, N189AC, operated by erickson air-crane of central point, Oregon, had just drafted the last 200 gallons of retardant from a portable retardant tank. The pilot then repositioned the aircraft to a second tank that was holding fresh water (approximately 25 yards away from retardant tank) to top off his tank. While maneuvering the aircraft to the second tank, the snorkel became lodged on a metal 3.5 x 1.5" tank suport ring (that surrounds the perimeter) and lifting eye attached to the ring. The pilot in command (PIC) observed the nose of the aircraft pitch down. The pilot pulled aft cyclic and applied additional power by lifting the collective. The nose of the aircraft responded in a left bank nose-high attitude. The tail skid contacted the ground as the aircraft spun around to the left. On the first rotation the tail rotor blades contacted the retardant tank no. 2. Two of the tail rotor blades were severed (symmetrically) approximately 12 inches from the tip. The aircraft continued spinning to the left and the tail rotor transmission contacted the retardant tank a second time. The tail rotor gearbox assembly separated from the aircraft and approximately the last 1/3 of the tail boom separated the aircraft on impact with retardant no. 2. The right main gear contacted the ground and collapsed and the aircraft rolled to the right onto the main rotor head causing the blades to depart the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest on its right side.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 1ST 2006, AN EXCLUSIVE USE ERICKSON AIR-CRANE S-64 HELICOPTER, N189AC, OPERATED BY ERICKSON AIR-CRANE OF CENTRAL POINT, OREGON, HAD JUST DRAFTED THE LAST 200 GALLONS OF RETARDANT FROM A PORTABLE RETARDANT TANK. THE PILOT THEN REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO A SECOND TANK THAT WAS HOLDING FRESH WATER (APPROXIMATELY 25 YARDS AWAY FROM RETARDANT TANK) TO TOP OFF HIS TANK. WHILE MANEUVERING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE SECOND TANK, THE SNORKEL BECAME LODGED ON A METAL 3.5 X 1.5" TANK SUPORT RING (THAT SURROUNDS THE PERIMETER) AND LIFTING EYE ATTACHED TO THE RING. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) OBSERVED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCH DOWN. THE PILOT PULLED AFT CYCLIC AND APPLIED ADDITIONAL POWER BY LIFTING THE COLLECTIVE. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT RESPONDED IN A LEFT BANK NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE. THE TAIL SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND AS THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND TO THE LEFT. ON THE FIRST ROTATION THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE RETARDANT TANK NO. 2. TWO OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE SEVERED (SYMMETRICALLY) APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES FROM THE TIP. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SPINNING TO THE LEFT AND THE TAIL ROTOR TRANSMISSION CONTACTED THE RETARDANT TANK A SECOND TIME. THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND APPROXIMATELY THE LAST 1/3 OF THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT WITH RETARDANT NO. 2. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR CONTACTED THE GROUND AND COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE RIGHT ONTO THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD CAUSING THE BLADES TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N189AC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.