20180112006529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell UH-1H · Van Nuys, CA · January 12, 2018

Date: January 12, 2018 · 07:30 local
Place: Van Nuys, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N205KS
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA107
Reported as: Bell UH-1H
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,400 total66 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days

N205KSRegistered now · Bell UH-1HS/N 9526 Airframe modelBell UH-1H

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.

Airman was landing on a square helicopter landing zone at the rsi private ramp on the west side of Van Nuys airport.

He was approaching facing west and thought that the lineman was requesting that he perform a 180? Degree pedal turn to land and face east.

The airman was looking at the landing zone off to his left as he could not see directly below him. He thought he was aligned; however, his landing zone was not parallel to the other one he was looking at.

As he was touching down the tail rotor of his helicopter N205KS hit the main rotor of N216HG, another helicopter which was parked behind him.

He felt a bump, landed and shut down.

Visual inspection of both aircraft shows that both aircraft sustained blade damage. N205KS has tail rotor damage on both blades, and N216HG has one main rotor blade clipped on the outer edge.

N216HG also received some windshield damage from metal chips.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN WAS LANDING ON A SQUARE HELICOPTER LANDING ZONE AT THE RSI PRIVATE RAMP ON THE WEST SIDE OF VAN NUYS AIRPORT.

HE WAS APPROACHING FACING WEST AND THOUGHT THAT THE LINEMAN WAS REQUESTING THAT HE PERFORM A 180? DEGREE PEDAL TURN TO LAND AND FACE EAST.

THE AIRMAN WAS LOOKING AT THE LANDING ZONE OFF TO HIS LEFT AS HE COULD NOT SEE DIRECTLY BELOW HIM. HE THOUGHT HE WAS ALIGNED; HOWEVER, HIS LANDING ZONE WAS NOT PARALLEL TO THE OTHER ONE HE WAS LOOKING AT.

AS HE WAS TOUCHING DOWN THE TAIL ROTOR OF HIS HELICOPTER N205KS HIT THE MAIN ROTOR OF N216HG, ANOTHER HELICOPTER WHICH WAS PARKED BEHIND HIM.

HE FELT A BUMP, LANDED AND SHUT DOWN.

VISUAL INSPECTION OF BOTH AIRCRAFT SHOWS THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED BLADE DAMAGE. N205KS HAS TAIL ROTOR DAMAGE ON BOTH BLADES, AND N216HG HAS ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE CLIPPED ON THE OUTER EDGE.

N216HG ALSO RECEIVED SOME WINDSHIELD DAMAGE FROM METAL CHIPS.

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 GAA18CA107Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportVan Nuys, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a stationary helicopter during landing. Contributing to the accident was the ground crew’s failure to ensure that the helicopter would clear the stationary helicopter.Jan 12, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N205KS · 1

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

Accident 20100624037929ALake Cachuma, CAOn 06/24/2010 santa barbara county fire, while conducting cliff rescue training, a brief loud noise was heard and the aircraft yawed to the right. A precautionary landing was made. Tail boom attach fitting was found to be cracked.Jun 24, 2010 · Minor damage