20081008855869I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Gulstm G-IV · Orlando, FL · October 8, 2008

Date
October 8, 2008 · 21:10 local
Place
Orlando, FL
Airport
Executive
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N472MM
Reported as
Gulstm GIV
People aboard
10
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
11,450 total845 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days

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 10/08/2008, at around 2110 local time, the Gulfstream (g-iv) was observed on video camera taxiing towards the helicopters parked adjacent to taxiway h. on video you see the g-iv slowing down and changing course to the right avoiding what appears to be helicopter rotorblades. The visibility was diminished due to heavy rain. The left wing of the g-iv appears from the video to be over the taxiway at all times. During the investigation we were unable to determine if the helicopter rotorblades extended into the taxiway environment. The morning following the departure of the g-iv damage was discovered to the main rotor blades and rotor mask of the two helicopters. From the video it appears the g-iv possibly struck the rotor blades of two helicopters with its left wing tip as it taxied passed, on its way to runway 7. There was no damage to the g-iv.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 10/08/2008, AT AROUND 2110 LOCAL TIME, THE GULFSTREAM (G-IV) WAS OBSERVED ON VIDEO CAMERA TAXIING TOWARDS THE HELICOPTERS PARKED ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY H. ON VIDEO YOU SEE THE G-IV SLOWING DOWN AND CHANGING COURSE TO THE RIGHT AVOIDING WHAT APPEARS TO BE HELICOPTER ROTORBLADES. THE VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHED DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. THE LEFT WING OF THE G-IV APPEARS FROM THE VIDEO TO BE OVER THE TAXIWAY AT ALL TIMES. DURING THE INVESTIGATION WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE HELICOPTER ROTORBLADES EXTENDED INTO THE TAXIWAY ENVIRONMENT. THE MORNING FOLLOWING THE DEPARTURE OF THE G-IV DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND ROTOR MASK OF THE TWO HELICOPTERS. FROM THE VIDEO IT APPEARS THE G-IV POSSIBLY STRUCK THE ROTOR BLADES OF TWO HELICOPTERS WITH ITS LEFT WING TIP AS IT TAXIED PASSED, ON ITS WAY TO RUNWAY 7. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE G-IV.