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20170804016889I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+ · Lubbock, TX · August 4, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 4, 2017 · 15:30 local
Place
Lubbock, TX
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
M3XA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N459MT
Reported as
Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
9,700 total203 in this make and model42 in the last 90 days
N459MTRegistered now · Eurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+S/N 0928 · Built 2010Airframe modelEurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2Turbo-shaft

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.

At 1530 LCL; N459MT, an EC-135 helicopter was repositioning on the university medical center helipad (TA79) and had a tail strike on the tail bumper of the fenestron striking the top rail of the 4 foot high chain link perimeter security fence. The solo pilot had landed behind another helicopter on the helipad and was repositioning for shutdown to await crew and equipment loading. The damaged tail bumper was removed from the helicopter and there was no visible damage observed on the fenestron. A mark was visible on the top rail of the chain link perimeter fence. The operator was given permission to conduct a maintenance inspection and make repairs as required.

As the FAA filed it

AT 1530 LCL; N459MT, AN EC-135 HELICOPTER WAS REPOSITIONING ON THE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER HELIPAD (TA79) AND HAD A TAIL STRIKE ON THE TAIL BUMPER OF THE FENESTRON STRIKING THE TOP RAIL OF THE 4 FOOT HIGH CHAIN LINK PERIMETER SECURITY FENCE. THE SOLO PILOT HAD LANDED BEHIND ANOTHER HELICOPTER ON THE HELIPAD AND WAS REPOSITIONING FOR SHUTDOWN TO AWAIT CREW AND EQUIPMENT LOADING. THE DAMAGED TAIL BUMPER WAS REMOVED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE OBSERVED ON THE FENESTRON. A MARK WAS VISIBLE ON THE TOP RAIL OF THE CHAIN LINK PERIMETER FENCE. THE OPERATOR WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO CONDUCT A MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AND MAKE REPAIRS AS REQUIRED.