What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 25, 2016, approximately 1050 local time, a Texas Helicopter Corp OH-13H/M74A, N10009, was
Substantially damaged during loading operations near Minonk, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The
Helicopter was registered to and operated by hendrickson flying service
The application nurse truck was stationary and parked on the right shoulder of a paved rural county road headed westbound and was completely clear of the roadway surface. The helicopter was parked on the elevated helipad on top of the nurse truck with the helicopter's engine operating and the rotor blades turning. The nose of the helicopter was oriented to the north, and the helicopter's tail boom
And the rotor disk then extended over the north edge of the paved road.
Near the end of the loading process, a westbound 18-wheel truck drove underneath the helicopter and impacted the helicopter's tail boom. The impact resulted in the complete separation of the aft half of the tail boom and dislodged the helicopter from its position on the nurse truck. The helicopter remained upright and remained on the top of the helipad only turning approximately 20 degrees. The driver of the 18-wheeler truck was not injured, but the right exhaust stack and the top left edge of the trailer showed damage which corresponded to the impact with the helicopter's tail boom.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 25, 2016, APPROXIMATELY 1050 LOCAL TIME, A TEXAS HELICOPTER CORP OH-13H/M74A, N10009, WAS
SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LOADING OPERATIONS NEAR MINONK, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE
HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HENDRICKSON FLYING SERVICE
THE APPLICATION NURSE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF A PAVED RURAL COUNTY ROAD HEADED WESTBOUND AND WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE ROADWAY SURFACE. THE HELICOPTER WAS PARKED ON THE ELEVATED HELIPAD ON TOP OF THE NURSE TRUCK WITH THE HELICOPTER'S ENGINE OPERATING AND THE ROTOR BLADES TURNING. THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS ORIENTED TO THE NORTH, AND THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL BOOM
AND THE ROTOR DISK THEN EXTENDED OVER THE NORTH EDGE OF THE PAVED ROAD.
NEAR THE END OF THE LOADING PROCESS, A WESTBOUND 18-WHEEL TRUCK DROVE UNDERNEATH THE HELICOPTER AND IMPACTED THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL BOOM. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN THE COMPLETE SEPARATION OF THE AFT HALF OF THE TAIL BOOM AND DISLODGED THE HELICOPTER FROM ITS POSITION ON THE NURSE TRUCK. THE HELICOPTER REMAINED UPRIGHT AND REMAINED ON THE TOP OF THE HELIPAD ONLY TURNING APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES. THE DRIVER OF THE 18-WHEELER TRUCK WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE RIGHT EXHAUST STACK AND THE TOP LEFT EDGE OF THE TRAILER SHOWED DAMAGE WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE IMPACT WITH THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL BOOM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N10009 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.