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20121013023652A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369A · West Chester, PA · October 13, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 13, 2012 · 09:30 local
Place
West Chester, PA
Airport
West Chester/Brandywine
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N546
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13LA022
Reported as
Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369A
Reported engine
Allison 250-C10D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
586 total253 in this make and model32 in the last 90 days
N546Registered now · Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369AS/N HA001 · Built 1997Airframe modelHughes/Helicopter Assocs 369AEngine modelAllison 250-C10DTurbo-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 Saturday, October 13, 2012, at approximately 0920 local time, a five-ship formation of helicopters from lancaster airport, PA (lnr) arrived to conduct sightseeing rides at a rotorfest event at Brandywine airport (koqn), PA, an uncontrolled airfield with UNICOM. Two FAA inspectors were at the landing airport (koqn) conducting other surveillance and responded to the event. As the in-line formation began a base leg from downwind to rwy 9, a high wing aircraft was observed on final to rwy 9. The formation's flight boss, who was in ship no. 5 in the trail position, commanded the formation to "break left or land" to accommodate the intruding aircraft. As the 5 aircraft maneuvered, ship no. 3 descended into the rotor of ship no. 4 (this report's accident aircraft), shearing the entire right skid of ship no. 3. Ship no. 4 landed while ship no. 3 hovered to decide how to respond to the missing skid. The pilot of ship no. 3 determined the safest action would be to return to lancaster (lnr) where a potential loss of control could be responded to by the fire department and a landing could be supported by available ground crew. The aircraft landed at lnr without incident. Ship 4 also landed without incident at oqn. Other aircraft involved ship no. 3 registration number is N369SN-SEE related report AEA1713005

As the FAA filed it

ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 LOCAL TIME, A FIVE-SHIP FORMATION OF HELICOPTERS FROM LANCASTER AIRPORT, PA (LNR) ARRIVED TO CONDUCT SIGHTSEEING RIDES AT A ROTORFEST EVENT AT BRANDYWINE AIRPORT (KOQN), PA, AN UNCONTROLLED AIRFIELD WITH UNICOM. TWO FAA INSPECTORS WERE AT THE LANDING AIRPORT (KOQN) CONDUCTING OTHER SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONDED TO THE EVENT.AS THE IN-LINE FORMATION BEGAN A BASE LEG FROM DOWNWIND TO RWY 9, A HIGH WING AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON FINAL TO RWY 9. THE FORMATION'S FLIGHT BOSS, WHO WAS IN SHIP NO. 5 IN THE TRAIL POSITION, COMMANDED THE FORMATION TO "BREAK LEFT OR LAND" TO ACCOMMODATE THE INTRUDING AIRCRAFT. AS THE 5 AIRCRAFT MANEUVERED, SHIP NO. 3 DESCENDED INTO THE ROTOR OF SHIP NO. 4 (THIS REPORT'S ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT), SHEARING THE ENTIRE RIGHT SKID OF SHIP NO. 3. SHIP NO. 4 LANDED WHILE SHIP NO. 3 HOVERED TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO THE MISSING SKID. THE PILOT OF SHIP NO. 3 DETERMINED THE SAFEST ACTION WOULD BE TO RETURN TO LANCASTER (LNR) WHERE A POTENTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL COULD BE RESPONDED TO BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A LANDING COULD BE SUPPORTED BY AVAILABLE GROUND CREW. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT LNR WITHOUT INCIDENT. SHIP 4 ALSO LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT OQN.OTHER AIRCRAFT INVOLVED SHIP NO. 3 REGISTRATION NUMBER IS N369SN-SEE RELATED REPORT AEA1713005

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 ERA13LA022Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWest Chester, PAThe pilot’s failure to see and avoid the preceding helicopter while maneuvering for landing. Contributing to the accident were the flight lead pilot’s inadequate preflight briefing and in-flight instruction to the formation pilots, which resulted in the loss…Oct 13, 2012 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N369SNHughes OH-6AAccident 20121013023732A · Substantial damage