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20081003849999I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Doug MD 900 · Lubbock, TX · October 3, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 3, 2008 · 22:51 local
Place
Lubbock, TX
Airport
Lubbock Preston Smith International
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
L19A
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N911AC
Reported as
Doug MD900
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
11,507 total1,278 in this make and model61 in the last 90 days
N911ACRegistration cancelled May 15, 2015 · MD Helicopters MD 900S/N 900-00108 · Built 2002Airframe modelMD Helicopters MD 900Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PW207ETurbo-shaft

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 October 5, 2008, the flight crew of N911AC, was performing flight training under the part 135 certificate at Lubbock international airport. The instructor pilot requested that the trainee perform a quick stop maneuver. The trainee executed the maneuver from approximately a three foot height. As the helicopter rotated aft, the tailboom struck the ground, causing one of the guard tubes on the outer rotating thruster assembly to become jammed against the inner stationary thruster assembly. Thruster vectoring became inoperative at that time. The instructor pilot stated that since the foot pedals were centered at the time of the impact, yaw control could be maintained by varying the pitch of the thruster fan and controlling air output. The crew hovered the helicopter back to the ramp and landed the helicopter on the trailer. This helicopter has been modified with an extended thruster assembly and the location of the existing tail skid did not prevent the extended tailboom from making contact with the ground. No injuries to the crew.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 5, 2008, THE FLIGHT CREW OF N911AC, WAS PERFORMING FLIGHT TRAINING UNDER THE PART 135 CERTIFICATE AT LUBBOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE TRAINEE PERFORM A QUICK STOP MANEUVER. THE TRAINEE EXECUTED THE MANEUVER FROM APPROXIMATELY A THREE FOOT HEIGHT. AS THE HELICOPTER ROTATED AFT, THE TAILBOOM STRUCK THE GROUND, CAUSING ONE OF THE GUARD TUBES ON THE OUTER ROTATING THRUSTER ASSEMBLY TO BECOME JAMMED AGAINST THE INNER STATIONARY THRUSTER ASSEMBLY. THRUSTER VECTORING BECAME INOPERATIVE AT THAT TIME. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT SINCE THE FOOT PEDALS WERE CENTERED AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT, YAW CONTROL COULD BE MAINTAINED BY VARYING THE PITCH OF THE THRUSTER FAN AND CONTROLLING AIR OUTPUT. THE CREW HOVERED THE HELICOPTER BACK TO THE RAMP AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON THE TRAILER. THIS HELICOPTER HAS BEEN MODIFIED WITH AN EXTENDED THRUSTER ASSEMBLY AND THE LOCATION OF THE EXISTING TAIL SKID DID NOT PREVENT THE EXTENDED TAILBOOM FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. NO INJURIES TO THE CREW.