# Accident 20090801048309A: Eurocopter EC130B4, Little Deer Isl, ME, August 1, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 1, 2009, 16:50 local time
- Place: Little Deer Isl, ME
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: MBOAT (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER EC130B4
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,170 total, 55 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090801048309A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRMAN IS A RESIDENT OF MONACO, OPERATING EUROCOPTER EC-130 REGISTERED IN ISLE OF MAN UK.  AIRMAN HOLDS FAA ISSUED PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ROTORCRAFT HELICOPTER & AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND.  HELICOPTER DEPARTED FANTAIL OF AIRMAN'S PERSONAL MOTOR YACHT "LADY CATHERINE" WHICH WAS AT ANCHOR IN THE VICINITY OF LITTLE DEER ISLE, ME.  WHILE OPERATING ALON COASTAL AREA AT APPROCIMATELY 400 FEET MSL, HE ENTERED AN OUT OF GROUND HOVER.  HE INITIATED A LEFT PEDAL TURN.  AS TURN COMMENCED HE EXPERIENCE WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A GUST OF WIND WHICH CAUSED THE RATE OF TURN TO ACCELERATE.  UNABLE TO RE-ASSERT CONTROL HE BEGAN DESCENT ONTO OCEAN SURFACE.  JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT HE WAS ABLE TO DEPLOY EMERGENCY FLOTATION DEVICES.  HELICOPTER REMAINED ON THE SURFACE BUT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ROTOR BLADES AND STRUCTURE WHEN IT IMPACTED THE WATER SURFACE.  NO INJURIES REPORTED AND HELICOPTER WAS TOWED TO SHORE BY LOBSTER BOATS.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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