What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, 2014 at approx. 1330 PDT, N522GS, a mcdonnel Douglas 500N helicopter, landed at Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, California. The landing was reported as normal by the pilot in command, however upon landing the right landing gear skid failed.
On April 21, 2014,the pilot in command, stated that he landed on the portable landing pad and upon touchdown, the aircraft seemed to lean drastically to right. The pilot then lifted the aircraft off of the pad and his passenger observed that the right landing skid appeared to be broken. He then landed the aircraft on the pavement.
Upon landing on the pavement, the aircraft came to rest on the left skid and the right entrance step. The main rotor did not contact the ground and there were no injuries to ground or flight personnel.
Inspection revealed that the right aft gear strut failed by breaking in half and the forward right landing gear strut failed by breaking at the oleo strut attachment. This caused damage to the fuselage at the forward gear strut.
The pilot also stated that there is an airworthiness directive to inspect the landing gear for cracks and that it was accomplished in December 2013.
Inspection of the aircraft records revealed that airworthiness directive AD2007-12-23 is applicable to this aircraft and was accomplished in December 2013.
The los angeles aircraft certification office (lax aco) was contacted and alerted that the landing gear skid had failed. The lax aco then contacted mcdonnel Douglas helicopter (mdh) and arranged for mdh to receive the damaged parts for evaluation to determine the probable cause of the failure. After further review by the NTSB it was determined that this is an accident. Several of the damaged parts were sent to the NTSB lab in wash. DC for further evaluation of the failed parts.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, 2014 AT APPROX. 1330 PDT, N522GS, A MCDONNEL DOUGLAS 500N HELICOPTER, LANDED AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. THE LANDING WAS REPORTED AS NORMAL BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, HOWEVER UPON LANDING THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID FAILED.
ON APRIL 21, 2014,THE PILOT IN COMMAND, STATED THAT HE LANDED ON THE PORTABLE LANDING PAD AND UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO LEAN DRASTICALLY TO RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT OFF OF THE PAD AND HIS PASSENGER OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT LANDING SKID APPEARED TO BE BROKEN. HE THEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE PAVEMENT.
UPON LANDING ON THE PAVEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE LEFT SKID AND THE RIGHT ENTRANCE STEP. THE MAIN ROTOR DID NOT CONTACT THE GROUND AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO GROUND OR FLIGHT PERSONNEL.
INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT AFT GEAR STRUT FAILED BY BREAKING IN HALF AND THE FORWARD RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT FAILED BY BREAKING AT THE OLEO STRUT ATTACHMENT. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AT THE FORWARD GEAR STRUT.
THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THERE IS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO INSPECT THE LANDING GEAR FOR CRACKS AND THAT IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN DECEMBER 2013.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AD2007-12-23 IS APPLICABLE TO THIS AIRCRAFT AND WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN DECEMBER 2013.
THE LOS ANGELES AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION OFFICE (LAX ACO) WAS CONTACTED AND ALERTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SKID HAD FAILED. THE LAX ACO THEN CONTACTED MCDONNEL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER (MDH) AND ARRANGED FOR MDH TO RECEIVE THE DAMAGED PARTS FOR EVALUATION TO DETERMINE THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW BY THE NTSB IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS IS AN ACCIDENT. SEVERAL OF THE DAMAGED PARTS WERE SENT TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASH. DC FOR FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE FAILED PARTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.