20120801015349A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Sikorsky S-58JT · Middletown, DE · August 1, 2012

Date: August 1, 2012 · 08:30 local
Place: Middletown, DE
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: A9IL
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N126GW
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA12LA493
Reported as: Sikorsky S-58JT
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6T-6
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 13,000 total7,000 in this make and model124 in the last 90 days

N126GWRegistered now · Sikorsky S-58JTS/N 581124 · Built 1959 Airframe modelSikorsky S-58JT Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6T-6Turbo-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.

The helicopter was in a hover phase of flight as it was setting an air conditioning unit on a single story warehouse. The pilot felt a vibration in the tail rotor control pedals, he released the external load and initiated an emregency landing, on a road adjacent to the warehouse. The helicopter landed safely without further difficulties. The pilot shut down the engines and exited the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A HOVER PHASE OF FLIGHT AS IT WAS SETTING AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ON A SINGLE STORY WAREHOUSE. THE PILOT FELT A VIBRATION IN THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL PEDALS, HE RELEASED THE EXTERNAL LOAD AND INITIATED AN EMREGENCY LANDING, ON A ROAD ADJACENT TO THE WAREHOUSE. THE HELICOPTER LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES AND EXITED THE HELICOPTER.

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 ERA12LA493Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMiddletown, DEThe pilot's failure to recognize that the helicopter was experiencing tail rotor dynamic instability and to take immediate corrective actions during an external load lift, which resulted in the failure of a tail rotor blade.Aug 1, 2012 · Substantial damage