20091125022529I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bell 206L-1 · November 25, 2009

Date: November 25, 2009 · 07:00 local
Phase of flight: Takeoff
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: IAVA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7DQ
Reported as: Bell 206L1
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,400 total2,500 in this make and model159 in the last 90 days

N7DQRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45685 · Built 1981 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-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.

Per company report 11-24-2009 1500 westwind helicopter landed on rig (MUA31B) in gulf, aircraft pointing south (wind from the south), loaded two passengers, wind from the north @24 knots, started engine and tried to reposition aircraft into wind for takeoff, wind gust caught aircraft and tried to swing it in the wrong direction, pilot applied full right pedal, wind caught tail boom and pushed it down, this caused minor damage to the sheet metal on the tail boom, just aft of tail boom attach point, aircraft was then loaded on boat and brought back to shore, put on truck and moved to operator’s hangar at brazoria county airport (lbx) on 11/25/2009. 11/30/2009 inspectors saw aircraft at hangar, aircraft had secondary damage done to tail boom by boat trip to shore, seas were running 6 to 8 feet waves, per company statement.

As the FAA filed it

PER COMPANY REPORT 11-24-2009 1500 WESTWIND HELICOPTER LANDED ON RIG (MUA31B) IN GULF, AIRCRAFT POINTING SOUTH (WIND FROM THE SOUTH), LOADED TWO PASSENGERS, WIND FROM THE NORTH @24 KNOTS, STARTED ENGINE AND TRIED TO REPOSITION AIRCRAFT INTO WIND FOR TAKEOFF, WIND GUST CAUGHT AIRCRAFT AND TRIED TO SWING IT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, PILOT APPLIED FULL RIGHT PEDAL, WIND CAUGHT TAIL BOOM AND PUSHED IT DOWN, THIS CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE SHEET METAL ON THE TAIL BOOM, JUST AFT OF TAIL BOOM ATTACH POINT, AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LOADED ON BOAT AND BROUGHT BACK TO SHORE, PUT ON TRUCK AND MOVED TO OPERATOR’S HANGAR AT BRAZORIA COUNTY AIRPORT (LBX) ON 11/25/2009. 11/30/2009 INSPECTORS SAW AIRCRAFT AT HANGAR, AIRCRAFT HAD SECONDARY DAMAGE DONE TO TAIL BOOM BY BOAT TRIP TO SHORE, SEAS WERE RUNNING 6 TO 8 FEET WAVES, PER COMPANY STATEMENT.