What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had dropped off passengers at phbk and waited for word that the helipad lights at thier hangar were deployed and lit. The pilot then departed phbk and flew east along the shorline at about 500 feet AGL. Once past pakala village he turned inland and started his approach to the hangar.
During the approach at about 200 feet AGL the pilot experinced spatial disorientation. The aircraft started to descend and drift to the right. The pilot stated he lost sight of the landing pad and pulled power. He scanned his instruments and stated he was in a nose high attitude when the radar altimiter zeroed and the tail of the aircraft made contact with the ground about 1500 feet short of the hangar. The tail skid sank into a soft pile of gravel allowing the tail rotor to strike the gravel. After contact, the aircrft started a climb and the pilot could again see the lights to the landing pad. The aircraft was still controlable with a vibration in the pedals. The pilot was able to make a successfull approach and landing to the lit pad.
A postflght inspection revealed damage to the ends of both tailrotor blades.
The hangar is located in a remote field and is lit by portable lights when needed. This night was very dark with no moon illumination. The surrounding fields have no lights and did not provide visual reference.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD DROPPED OFF PASSENGERS AT PHBK AND WAITED FOR WORD THAT THE HELIPAD LIGHTS AT THIER HANGAR WERE DEPLOYED AND LIT. THE PILOT THEN DEPARTED PHBK AND FLEW EAST ALONG THE SHORLINE AT ABOUT 500 FEET AGL. ONCE PAST PAKALA VILLAGE HE TURNED INLAND AND STARTED HIS APPROACH TO THE HANGAR.
DURING THE APPROACH AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL THE PILOT EXPERINCED SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DESCEND AND DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT STATED HE LOST SIGHT OF THE LANDING PAD AND PULLED POWER. HE SCANNED HIS INSTRUMENTS AND STATED HE WAS IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WHEN THE RADAR ALTIMITER ZEROED AND THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 1500 FEET SHORT OF THE HANGAR. THE TAIL SKID SANK INTO A SOFT PILE OF GRAVEL ALLOWING THE TAIL ROTOR TO STRIKE THE GRAVEL. AFTER CONTACT, THE AIRCRFT STARTED A CLIMB AND THE PILOT COULD AGAIN SEE THE LIGHTS TO THE LANDING PAD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL CONTROLABLE WITH A VIBRATION IN THE PEDALS. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE A SUCCESSFULL APPROACH AND LANDING TO THE LIT PAD.
A POSTFLGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE ENDS OF BOTH TAILROTOR BLADES.
THE HANGAR IS LOCATED IN A REMOTE FIELD AND IS LIT BY PORTABLE LIGHTS WHEN NEEDED. THIS NIGHT WAS VERY DARK WITH NO MOON ILLUMINATION. THE SURROUNDING FIELDS HAVE NO LIGHTS AND DID NOT PROVIDE VISUAL REFERENCE.
Other reports on N716AM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.