20090827017049A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Snias AS350B2 · Grand Canyon, AZ · August 27, 2009

Date: August 27, 2009 · 08:45 local
Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: LV6A
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N705LV
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09LA420
Reported as: Snias AS350B2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,167 total1,600 in this make and model164 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) The pilot had just unloaded pack at the bottom of the Canyon and was re positioning to the top of gcw. During a clearing turn the tail rotor hit a rock at the landing pad. The tail rotor was so FAR out of balance the t/r gear box was torn from the tailboom. Both blades of the t/r were damaged, both the lower and upper vertical fin were damaged, the damage to the aircraft was substantial.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT HAD JUST UNLOADED PACK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CANYON AND WAS RE POSITIONING TO THE TOP OF GCW. DURING A CLEARING TURN THE TAIL ROTOR HIT A ROCK AT THE LANDING PAD. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS SO FAR OUT OF BALANCE THE T/R GEAR BOX WAS TORN FROM THE TAILBOOM. BOTH BLADES OF THE T/R WERE DAMAGED, BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER VERTICAL FIN WERE DAMAGED, THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

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 WPR09LA420Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGrand Canyon, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a boulder during a low-altitude takeoff turn.Aug 27, 2009 · Substantial damage