What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 21, 2014, N9511 an AS350B2 helicopter operated by schuman aviation company inc., had just landed at Honolulu International Airport (phnl) after completing a 14 CFR 135 on demand tour flight.
After the helicopter had settled on the ground, the pilot started to commence his after landing check list, at this time the helicopter started to drift to the left and became airborne. The pilot stated in his report that the aircraft gained approximately 50 to 75 feet of altitude, while he attempted to gain control of the helicopter without the assist of the hydraulic system.
The pilot managed to fly the helicopter to an adjacent taxiway, where the helicopter landed hard and spun around.
The pilot stated after the helicopter had stopped, he heard no abnormal noises or damage to the helicopter, and remembers selecting the hydraulic systems switch on. He requested from the Honolulu tower to shut down on the taxiway. He verbally checked with the passengers to see if they needed medical attention.
Honolulu tower did initiate the crash rescue to the site, and they were informed by the pilot everyone was okay and that the passengers had been taken back to schuman aviation?s operations area.
The pilot then proceeded to complete a post flight inspection for damage. He inspected the main rotors for impact with the ground, he noted no damage. He inspected the fuselage and found the protective bubble on the nose of the helicopter for the camera was damaged and the nose of the helicopter had scrape marks from impacting the ground.
The helicopter was towed back to the company maintenance facility for further inspection and repair.
The piloted noted in his statement that after landing, he remembered going to lock the collective with the mechanical locking strap and then somehow the hydraulic switch was disabled, and with the collective not being locked in the down position, the collective popped up with the loss of hydraulics, causing the helicopter lift on the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 21, 2014, N9511 AN AS350B2 HELICOPTER OPERATED BY SCHUMAN AVIATION COMPANY INC., HAD JUST LANDED AT HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PHNL) AFTER COMPLETING A 14 CFR 135 ON DEMAND TOUR FLIGHT.
AFTER THE HELICOPTER HAD SETTLED ON THE GROUND, THE PILOT STARTED TO COMMENCE HIS AFTER LANDING CHECK LIST, AT THIS TIME THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PILOT STATED IN HIS REPORT THAT THE AIRCRAFT GAINED APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 75 FEET OF ALTITUDE, WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER WITHOUT THE ASSIST OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM.
THE PILOT MANAGED TO FLY THE HELICOPTER TO AN ADJACENT TAXIWAY, WHERE THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND SPUN AROUND.
THE PILOT STATED AFTER THE HELICOPTER HAD STOPPED, HE HEARD NO ABNORMAL NOISES OR DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER, AND REMEMBERS SELECTING THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS SWITCH ON. HE REQUESTED FROM THE HONOLULU TOWER TO SHUT DOWN ON THE TAXIWAY. HE VERBALLY CHECKED WITH THE PASSENGERS TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION.
HONOLULU TOWER DID INITIATE THE CRASH RESCUE TO THE SITE, AND THEY WERE INFORMED BY THE PILOT EVERYONE WAS OKAY AND THAT THE PASSENGERS HAD BEEN TAKEN BACK TO SCHUMAN AVIATION?S OPERATIONS AREA.
THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION FOR DAMAGE. HE INSPECTED THE MAIN ROTORS FOR IMPACT WITH THE GROUND, HE NOTED NO DAMAGE. HE INSPECTED THE FUSELAGE AND FOUND THE PROTECTIVE BUBBLE ON THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER FOR THE CAMERA WAS DAMAGED AND THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER HAD SCRAPE MARKS FROM IMPACTING THE GROUND.
THE HELICOPTER WAS TOWED BACK TO THE COMPANY MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND REPAIR.
THE PILOTED NOTED IN HIS STATEMENT THAT AFTER LANDING, HE REMEMBERED GOING TO LOCK THE COLLECTIVE WITH THE MECHANICAL LOCKING STRAP AND THEN SOMEHOW THE HYDRAULIC SWITCH WAS DISABLED, AND WITH THE COLLECTIVE NOT BEING LOCKED IN THE DOWN POSITION, THE COLLECTIVE POPPED UP WITH THE LOSS OF HYDRAULICS, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER LIFT ON THE GROUND.
Other reports on N9511 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.