# Accident 20110317005109A: Bell 230, Abbeville, LA, March 17, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 17, 2011, 10:00 local time
- Place: Abbeville, LA
- Airport: N/A
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: R8HA
- Location: 29.9754° N, 92.1272° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Abbeville, LA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9754&lon=-92.1272&mi=10
- Aircraft: N974RH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N974RH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 230 (registry code 1182149, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-230) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 230
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C30 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 10,280 total, 1,108 in this make and model, 134 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN11CA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA232) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110317005109A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS ASKED TO REPOSITION AIRCRAFT TO ALLOW ANOTHER AIRCRAFT TO LAND ON HELIDECK. WHILE REPOSITIONING THE PILOT ALLOWED THE TAILROTOR TO STRIKE A POLE USED TO SUPPORT THE LIGHTNING STRIKE GROUNDING SYSTEM. THE PILOT THEN FELT THAT THE TAIL ROTOR WAS GOING TO FAIL AND DID NOT WANT THE ROTATION TO WORSEN SO HE ROLLED THROTTLES TO IDLE, AT THAT TIME THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND YAWED RAPIDLY TO THE LEFT AND BEGAN A LATERAL SLIDE RIGHT ABOUT 2-3 FEET.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN11CA232](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA232), Mar 17, 2011: Bell 230 (N974RH), Gulf of Mexico, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the safety skirting during the repositioning landing.

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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