OpenAirDocs.org

20121022024439A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Agusta AW139 · Houma, LA · October 22, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 22, 2012 · 05:34 local
Place
Houma, LA
Airport
Houma-Terrebonne
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
U0GA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N385RH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13FA025
Reported as
Agusta AW139
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
6,710 total24 in this make and model98 in the last 90 days
N385RHRegistration cancelled Jul 14, 2014 · Agusta AW139S/N 41013Airframe modelAgusta AW139Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67CTurbo-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 October 22, 2012, at 0100 central daylight time, an Agusta Spa AW139 helicopter, N385RH, collided with the terrain following a loss of control while the helicopter was being repositioned on the Houma-Terrebonne Airport (khum), Houma, Louisiana. Neither of the two airline transport rated pilots on board were injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to and operated by era helicopters LLC and was being operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The helicopter was being relocated from one landing pad to another, about 20 feet away, when the accident occurred. When the wheels touched the ground during the landing, a vertical vibration was noted. The pilot increased the collective in an attempt to load the main rotor system; however, the vibration worsened and the helicopter began to shake violently. The pilot was able to move the helicopter away from the pad, as there was another helicopter being fueled next to it. The pilot then made a left pedal turn and was able to set the helicopter down on the grass. He stated that the helicopter impacted the ground very hard while moving laterally to the left.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 22, 2012, AT 0100 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AGUSTA SPA AW139 HELICOPTER, N385RH, COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING REPOSITIONED ON THE HOUMA-TERREBONNE AIRPORT (KHUM), HOUMA, LOUISIANA. NEITHER OF THE TWO AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOTS ON BOARD WERE INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY ERA HELICOPTERS LLC AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING RELOCATED FROM ONE LANDING PAD TO ANOTHER, ABOUT 20 FEET AWAY, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. WHEN THE WHEELS TOUCHED THE GROUND DURING THE LANDING, A VERTICAL VIBRATION WAS NOTED. THE PILOT INCREASED THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOAD THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE VIBRATION WORSENED AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM THE PAD, AS THERE WAS ANOTHER HELICOPTER BEING FUELED NEXT TO IT. THE PILOT THEN MADE A LEFT PEDAL TURN AND WAS ABLE TO SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN ON THE GRASS. HE STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND VERY HARD WHILE MOVING LATERALLY TO THE LEFT.

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 CEN13FA025Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportHouma, LAThe helicopter’s sudden and severe vertical vibrations during landing, which resulted in a collision with terrain. The reason for the helicopter’s sudden and severe vertical vibrations could not be determined during postaccident examinations.Oct 22, 2012 · Substantial damage