20180128003219I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Airbus EC 130 T2 · Memphis, TN · January 28, 2018

Date: January 28, 2018 · 14:00 local
Place: Memphis, TN
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: EVCA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N894GT
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA18IA078
Reported as: Airbus EC130 T2
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N894GTRegistered now · Airbus Helicopters EC 130 T2S/N 8185 · Built 2015 Airframe modelAirbus Helicopters EC 130 T2 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2DTurbo-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.

N894GT, an EC-130 T2 Airbus helicopter landed on medical helipad on top of hospital with four pob's in Memphis Tennessee at approximately 1400 local to drop off a patient. After landing, pilot rolled throttle to flight idol without locking down the collective stick (pilot followed air evac checklist sequence) and removed hand. The aircraft immediately began to lift off. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of approximately 6-8 feet and the pilot grabbed control and abruply lowered the collective stick causing the aircraft to suffer a hard landing.

As the FAA filed it

N894GT, AN EC-130 T2 AIRBUS HELICOPTER LANDED ON MEDICAL HELIPAD ON TOP OF HOSPITAL WITH FOUR POB'S IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL TO DROP OFF A PATIENT. AFTER LANDING, PILOT ROLLED THROTTLE TO FLIGHT IDOL WITHOUT LOCKING DOWN THE COLLECTIVE STICK (PILOT FOLLOWED AIR EVAC CHECKLIST SEQUENCE) AND REMOVED HAND. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO LIFT OFF. THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 6-8 FEET AND THE PILOT GRABBED CONTROL AND ABRUPLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE STICK CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SUFFER A HARD LANDING.

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 ERA18IA078Incident · No injuriesClass 3 · IncidentFinal reportMemphis, TNThe pilot’s failure to lock the collective pitch control after landing, and the mechanic’s failure to properly balance the collective pitch control after converting the helicopter to a single-pilot configuration, which resulted in an uncommanded collective…Jan 28, 2018 · Minor damage