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20140725016512A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-6-300 · Boulder City, NV · July 25, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 25, 2014 · 16:43 local
Place
Boulder City, NV
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
GCNA
Collision
Collision on the ground
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N190GC
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR14LA313
Reported as
Dehavilland DHC-6-300
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
9,733 total7,228 in this make and model127 in the last 90 days
N190GCRegistered now · Dehavilland DHC-6-300S/N 285 · Built 1970Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-6-300Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 seriesTurbo-prop

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 07/25/14 at approximately 1643 PDT, an American Eurocopter AS-350 B4 EC-130 helicopter was struck from behind by a Dehavilland DHC-6 twin otter airplane at the Boulder City airport in Boulder City, Nevada. Both aircraft were operating under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 135.

The Boulder City airport is an uncontrolled airport utilizing common traffic advisory frequency communications.

At the time of the event, the helicopter was on a final approach, in a westerly direction, to an established helicopter pad, which is adjacent to taxiway ?d?. The helicopter?s flight path was parallel to taxiway ?d?.

The airplane was traveling westbound on taxiway ?d? When the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer of the airplane struck the right rear portion of the helicopter?s horizontal stabilizer, adjacent to the tail boom of the helicopter.

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the stabilizer, tailboom and to the surface of one main rotor blade, which appeared to have struck the anti-collision light of the airplane.

None of the occupants of either aircraft were injured and the pilot of the helicopter was able to land without any further events.

The pilot of the helicopter later reported having seen the airplane sitting at the east part of the parking ramp, facing south. The pilot of the helicopter thought that the airplane was going to be taxiing to the east for departure from runway 27 left.

The pilot of the airplane reported that he had not seen the helicopter at any time while preparing to taxi or while taxiing. He reported that his first officer had originally broadcast their intention to taxi to the east and to depart from runway 27 left, though they had changed their mind after leaving the parking ramp, due to seeing the wind sock. He stated that they had broadcast their change of plans to indicate that they would be taxiing along taxiway ?d? For departure from runway 15.

As the FAA filed it

ON 07/25/14 AT APPROXIMATELY 1643 PDT, AN AMERICAN EUROCOPTER AS-350 B4 EC-130 HELICOPTER WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A DEHAVILLAND DHC-6 TWIN OTTER AIRPLANE AT THE BOULDER CITY AIRPORT IN BOULDER CITY, NEVADA. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 135.

THE BOULDER CITY AIRPORT IS AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT UTILIZING COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT, THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A FINAL APPROACH, IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, TO AN ESTABLISHED HELICOPTER PAD, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO TAXIWAY ?D?. THE HELICOPTER?S FLIGHT PATH WAS PARALLEL TO TAXIWAY ?D?.

THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON TAXIWAY ?D? WHEN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RIGHT REAR PORTION OF THE HELICOPTER?S HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, ADJACENT TO THE TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER.

THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE STABILIZER, TAILBOOM AND TO THE SURFACE OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE STRUCK THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE.

NONE OF THE OCCUPANTS OF EITHER AIRCRAFT WERE INJURED AND THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER EVENTS.

THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER LATER REPORTED HAVING SEEN THE AIRPLANE SITTING AT THE EAST PART OF THE PARKING RAMP, FACING SOUTH. THE PILOT OF THE HELICOPTER THOUGHT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING TO BE TAXIING TO THE EAST FOR DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 27 LEFT.

THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN THE HELICOPTER AT ANY TIME WHILE PREPARING TO TAXI OR WHILE TAXIING. HE REPORTED THAT HIS FIRST OFFICER HAD ORIGINALLY BROADCAST THEIR INTENTION TO TAXI TO THE EAST AND TO DEPART FROM RUNWAY 27 LEFT, THOUGH THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR MIND AFTER LEAVING THE PARKING RAMP, DUE TO SEEING THE WIND SOCK. HE STATED THAT THEY HAD BROADCAST THEIR CHANGE OF PLANS TO INDICATE THAT THEY WOULD BE TAXIING ALONG TAXIWAY ?D? FOR DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 15.

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 WPR14LA313Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBoulder City, NVThe airplane flight crew’s failure to exercise the necessary vigilance and precautions and yield the right of way to the landing helicopter, which resulted in the airplane colliding with the helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the helicopter pilot’s…Jul 25, 2014 · 2 aircraft · Minor damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N152GCEurocopter EC 130 B4No report for this aircraft in the release

Other reports on N190GC · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20260430009649ILanding: Rollout · Tusayan, AZOn April 30, 2026, at 2142Z (14:42 MST local), a de-havilland DHC-6-300, was involved in a runway excursion event at Grand Canyon National park airport (kgcn), Tusayan, AZ. The aircraft was not damaged. Thirteen passengers and two pilots were not injured. The…Apr 30, 2026 · No damage