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20121013023732A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes OH-6A · West Chester, PA · October 13, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 13, 2012 · 09:30 local
Place
West Chester, PA
Airport
Brandywine
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N369SN
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13LA022
Reported as
Hughes OH-6A
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C10D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,560 total115 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N369SNRegistration cancelled May 8, 2019 · Hughes OH-6AS/N 66-14389 · Built 1968Airframe modelHughes OH-6AEngine modelRolls-Royce 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 Hughes 500 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.as the in-line formation began a base leg from downwind to rwy 9, a high wing aircraft was observed on long 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 helicopters maneuvered, ship no. 3 (this report's accident aircraft) descended into the rotor of ship no. 4 . Ship 4'S rotors sheared off the entire right skid of ship no. 3. Ship no. 4 landed safely 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 during landing could be responded to by the fire department. Also, a one-skid landing could be supported by available ground crew. The aircraft landed at lnr without incident. Ship 4 also landed without incident at oqn. Two EA-17 FAA airworthiness inspectors were conducting surveillance nearby and arrived at the scene within five minutes of the accident. Other aircraft involved ship no. 4 registration number is N546-SEE related report AEA1713004

As the FAA filed it

ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012, AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 LOCAL TIME, A FIVE-SHIP FORMATION OF HUGHES 500 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.AS THE IN-LINE FORMATION BEGAN A BASE LEG FROM DOWNWIND TO RWY 9, A HIGH WING AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON LONG 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 HELICOPTERS MANEUVERED, SHIP NO. 3 (THIS REPORT'S ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT) DESCENDED INTO THE ROTOR OF SHIP NO. 4 . SHIP 4'S ROTORS SHEARED OFF THE ENTIRE RIGHT SKID OF SHIP NO. 3. SHIP NO. 4 LANDED SAFELY 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 DURING LANDING COULD BE RESPONDED TO BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALSO, A ONE-SKID LANDING COULD BE SUPPORTED BY AVAILABLE GROUND CREW. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT LNR WITHOUT INCIDENT. SHIP 4 ALSO LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT OQN. TWO EA-17 FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS WERE CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE NEARBY AND ARRIVED AT THE SCENE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF THE ACCIDENT.OTHER AIRCRAFT INVOLVED SHIP NO. 4 REGISTRATION NUMBER IS N546-SEE RELATED REPORT AEA1713004

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.

N546Hughes/Helicopter Assocs 369AAccident 20121013023652A · Substantial damage