20100630038889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 501 · Chicago, IL · June 30, 2010

Date: June 30, 2010 · 17:00 local
Place: Chicago, IL
Airport: Chicago Midway International
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N20RM
Reported as: Cessna 501
People aboard: 0
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N20RMRegistered now · Cessna 501S/N 501-0025 Airframe modelCessna 501

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.

N20RM, a CE-501 was parked on the ramp. Its door was open and the stair was deployed. N365UC, an EMS helicopter flew over N20RM while approaching to land. The rotorwash from N365UC caused the door of N20RM to impact the extended stair. This caused cosmetic damage to the door, but the door structure and seal were undamaged. Helicopter pilot stated that he approached from the north according to instructions from the tower. He flew his approach so as to avoid overflight of the national guard hangar and the adjacent FBO. After he had landed and shut down, the pilot of N20RM approached him and told him that his rotorwash had caused the door of the citation to hit the extended stair. He stated that the hold open latch had failed and that this scenario had happened before.

As the FAA filed it

N20RM, A CE-501 WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP. ITS DOOR WAS OPEN AND THE STAIR WAS DEPLOYED. N365UC, AN EMS HELICOPTER FLEW OVER N20RM WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND. THE ROTORWASH FROM N365UC CAUSED THE DOOR OF N20RM TO IMPACT THE EXTENDED STAIR. THIS CAUSED COSMETIC DAMAGE TO THE DOOR, BUT THE DOOR STRUCTURE AND SEAL WERE UNDAMAGED. HELICOPTER PILOT STATED THAT HE APPROACHED FROM THE NORTH ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TOWER. HE FLEW HIS APPROACH SO AS TO AVOID OVERFLIGHT OF THE NATIONAL GUARD HANGAR AND THE ADJACENT FBO. AFTER HE HAD LANDED AND SHUT DOWN, THE PILOT OF N20RM APPROACHED HIM AND TOLD HIM THAT HIS ROTORWASH HAD CAUSED THE DOOR OF THE CITATION TO HIT THE EXTENDED STAIR. HE STATED THAT THE HOLD OPEN LATCH HAD FAILED AND THAT THIS SCENARIO HAD HAPPENED BEFORE.