20110712013469I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Sikorsky S-76B · Bedminster, NJ · July 12, 2011

Date: July 12, 2011 · 13:00 local
Place: Bedminster, NJ
Airport: Somerset
Phase of flight: Taxi
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N20NJ
Reported as: Sikorsky S-76B
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,400 total

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.

Pilot and co-pilot reportedly were repositioning the aircraft from fuel facility to hanger area. Pilot reported momentarily losing situational awareness of rotor tips while attending to a cockpit distraction. Rotor tips contacted the hanger and caused minor damage to the rotor endcaps. No loss of RPM or blade stoppage was reported. Chief mechanic privacy data omitted reported all post incident inspections were being performed iaw the manufacturer maintenance manuals. Rotor blades to be replaced and repaired/inspected prior to return to service.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND CO-PILOT REPORTEDLY WERE REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT FROM FUEL FACILITY TO HANGER AREA. PILOT REPORTED MOMENTARILY LOSING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF ROTOR TIPS WHILE ATTENDING TO A COCKPIT DISTRACTION. ROTOR TIPS CONTACTED THE HANGER AND CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR ENDCAPS. NO LOSS OF RPM OR BLADE STOPPAGE WAS REPORTED. CHIEF MECHANIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPORTED ALL POST INCIDENT INSPECTIONS WERE BEING PERFORMED IAW THE MANUFACTURER MAINTENANCE MANUALS. ROTOR BLADES TO BE REPLACED AND REPAIRED/INSPECTED PRIOR TO RETURN TO SERVICE.