20090702047879A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter AS 350 B2 · Loris, SC · July 2, 2009

Date: July 2, 2009 · 21:01 local
Place: Loris, SC
Airport: Loris Community Health
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: RMXA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N53963
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09LA378
Reported as: Eurocopter AS 350 B2
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1D1
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,200 total150 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N53963Registration cancelled Feb 23, 2019 · Eurocopter AS 350 B2S/N 3963 · Built 2005 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 B2 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1D1Turbo-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.

On July 2, 2009,at 2101HRS, in VMC conditions, a hems helicopter circled to land at the helipad near Loris medical center, Loris, SC for an approach and landing. On final approach, the pilot asked crewmembers in the rear to call out when clear of the obstacles. The crewmember on the left side of the aircraft announced that the aircraft was clear of the trees and poles. The pilot continued his approach to the center of the helipad and just prior to touch down heard a bang followed by a high frequency vibration. The pilot landed the aircraft in the center of the helipad. The flight nurse on the right side of the aircraft opened the door to observe the tailrotor blades were damaged. The pilot executed the emergency shutdown. The tailrotor blades had contacted a vertical concrete and steel barrier pole on the perimeter of the helipad. All crewmembers were aware of the vertical structures but had forgotten about them at the time of the accident.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 2, 2009,AT 2101HRS, IN VMC CONDITIONS, A HEMS HELICOPTER CIRCLED TO LAND AT THE HELIPAD NEAR LORIS MEDICAL CENTER, LORIS, SC FOR AN APPROACH AND LANDING. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT ASKED CREWMEMBERS IN THE REAR TO CALL OUT WHEN CLEAR OF THE OBSTACLES. THE CREWMEMBER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT ANNOUNCED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR OF THE TREES AND POLES. THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS APPROACH TO THE CENTER OF THE HELIPAD AND JUST PRIOR TO TOUCH DOWN HEARD A BANG FOLLOWED BY A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE CENTER OF THE HELIPAD. THE FLIGHT NURSE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT OPENED THE DOOR TO OBSERVE THE TAILROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED. THE PILOT EXECUTED THE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN. THE TAILROTOR BLADES HAD CONTACTED A VERTICAL CONCRETE AND STEEL BARRIER POLE ON THE PERIMETER OF THE HELIPAD. ALL CREWMEMBERS WERE AWARE OF THE VERTICAL STRUCTURES BUT HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

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 ERA09LA378Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLoris, SCThe crew's failure to see and avoid a steel pole during a nighttime approach to the helipad.Jul 3, 2009 · Substantial damage