What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 25, 2021 at maui heliport, Kahului hi, while attempting to lift the aircraft (N752CH) to a hover to taxi across the ramp the PIC noted the aircraft experienced rolling motion. The PIC immediately lowered the collective and had a hard landing which resulted in damage to the tail boom. The tail boom had to be replaced.
After completing a tour to molokai, the PIC was in-bound for the heliport when ground crew directed him to land on pad 3. After landing and idling down, ground crew informed him that another aircraft would be arriving shortly and needed fuel. As he did not need fuel for his next flight, he was advised to move to pad 2, directly to the right of pad 3. He began repositioning the aircraft; once at full idle, he then started to raise collective and when getting light on the skids he noticed that the right skid was not yet off the ground. He continued to raise collective when he detected that the right skid felt stuck and the aircraft was in more of a rolling position; so, he immediately lowered the collective to prevent dynamic rollover. When he quickly lowered the collective, the aircraft then felt to have bounced on the pad with its final position being slightly to the right of its original landing site. He immediately completed shut down procedures. Once blades had stopped, he quickly did a walk around to see if any damages occurred to the aircraft and did not detect any issues. He repositioned the aircraft to pad 2 quickly to accommodate the other incoming aircraft. A company fueler approached and noticed external damage to the tail boom and advised that the aircraft should be shut down until maintenance crew could fully inspect for safety issues. The PIC contacted his pilot supervisor immediately in regards to the events and the aircraft was grounded until the maintenance crew was able to assess and repair as needed. No injuries were reported.
This accident was discovered as a result of a hotline complaint investigation. The NTSB reviewed initial information and determined that it should be classified as an accident. The faa/fsdo was notified of the classification January 20, 2022.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 25, 2021 AT MAUI HELIPORT, KAHULUI HI, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT (N752CH) TO A HOVER TO TAXI ACROSS THE RAMP THE PIC NOTED THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ROLLING MOTION. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND HAD A HARD LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM HAD TO BE REPLACED.
AFTER COMPLETING A TOUR TO MOLOKAI, THE PIC WAS IN-BOUND FOR THE HELIPORT WHEN GROUND CREW DIRECTED HIM TO LAND ON PAD 3. AFTER LANDING AND IDLING DOWN, GROUND CREW INFORMED HIM THAT ANOTHER AIRCRAFT WOULD BE ARRIVING SHORTLY AND NEEDED FUEL. AS HE DID NOT NEED FUEL FOR HIS NEXT FLIGHT, HE WAS ADVISED TO MOVE TO PAD 2, DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT OF PAD 3. HE BEGAN REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT; ONCE AT FULL IDLE, HE THEN STARTED TO RAISE COLLECTIVE AND WHEN GETTING LIGHT ON THE SKIDS HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT SKID WAS NOT YET OFF THE GROUND. HE CONTINUED TO RAISE COLLECTIVE WHEN HE DETECTED THAT THE RIGHT SKID FELT STUCK AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN MORE OF A ROLLING POSITION; SO, HE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO PREVENT DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. WHEN HE QUICKLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELT TO HAVE BOUNCED ON THE PAD WITH ITS FINAL POSITION BEING SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF ITS ORIGINAL LANDING SITE. HE IMMEDIATELY COMPLETED SHUT DOWN PROCEDURES. ONCE BLADES HAD STOPPED, HE QUICKLY DID A WALK AROUND TO SEE IF ANY DAMAGES OCCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT DETECT ANY ISSUES. HE REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO PAD 2 QUICKLY TO ACCOMMODATE THE OTHER INCOMING AIRCRAFT. A COMPANY FUELER APPROACHED AND NOTICED EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM AND ADVISED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL MAINTENANCE CREW COULD FULLY INSPECT FOR SAFETY ISSUES. THE PIC CONTACTED HIS PILOT SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY IN REGARDS TO THE EVENTS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED UNTIL THE MAINTENANCE CREW WAS ABLE TO ASSESS AND REPAIR AS NEEDED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THIS ACCIDENT WAS DISCOVERED AS A RESULT OF A HOTLINE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION. THE NTSB REVIEWED INITIAL INFORMATION AND DETERMINED THAT IT SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. THE FAA/FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CLASSIFICATION JANUARY 20, 2022.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.