20111004029759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eurocopter EC120B · San Juan, TX · October 4, 2011

Date: October 4, 2011 · 13:20 local
Place: San Juan, TX
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3925A
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN12TA004
Reported as: Eurocopter EC120B
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIUS-2F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,517 total403 in this make and model101 in the last 90 days

N3925ARegistration cancelled Nov 17, 2016 · Eurocopter EC120BS/N 1594 · Built 2009 Airframe modelEurocopter EC120B Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIUS-2FTurbo-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.

On oct. 4, 2011, a customs/border patrol helicopter (EC-120) was landing onto an open field and did a run-on type landing. As the helicopter is skidding along, approx. 25 feet, the left skid dug in and then the wire strike dug into the ground sending the helicopter into a nose over attitude. The rotor blades began to hit the ground causing the helicopter tail to go to the right and the right stabilizer struck the ground snapping off the tail's rotor section. There were no injuries and no post fire.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCT. 4, 2011, A CUSTOMS/BORDER PATROL HELICOPTER (EC-120) WAS LANDING ONTO AN OPEN FIELD AND DID A RUN-ON TYPE LANDING. AS THE HELICOPTER IS SKIDDING ALONG, APPROX. 25 FEET, THE LEFT SKID DUG IN AND THEN THE WIRE STRIKE DUG INTO THE GROUND SENDING THE HELICOPTER INTO A NOSE OVER ATTITUDE. THE ROTOR BLADES BEGAN TO HIT THE GROUND CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TAIL TO GO TO THE RIGHT AND THE RIGHT STABILIZER STRUCK THE GROUND SNAPPING OFF THE TAIL'S ROTOR SECTION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO POST FIRE.

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 CEN12TA004Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportMcAllen, TXThe pilot's improper use of the collective while landing, which resulted in an unrecoverable forward pitching moment. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision not to go-around.Oct 4, 2011 · Substantial damage