20180829012489A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Polly Creek, AK · August 29, 2018

Date
August 29, 2018 · 17:00 local
Place
Polly Creek, AK
Phase of flight
Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YDAC
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N99645
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA18CA534
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,050 total1,000 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

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.

While idling on the ground during passenger pickup, helicopter main rotor blade was struck by a passenger?s fishing pole. Pole tip pierced the main rotor blade outer surface, approximately 33 inches from the blade tip.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IDLING ON THE GROUND DURING PASSENGER PICKUP, HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS STRUCK BY A PASSENGER?S FISHING POLE. POLE TIP PIERCED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE OUTER SURFACE, APPROXIMATELY 33 INCHES FROM THE BLADE TIP.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.