What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident on 3/26/2024 approx 1330
Pilot relevant flight time:
Total helicopter time: 219.5 hrs.
Turbine time: 118 hrs.
Make and model: 79 hrs.
Solo make and model: 23.7
Pilot is current
Narrative: (via phone)
Pilot was instructed to take the aircraft for a solo flight of not more than an hour. Pre-flight conducted inside hangar on a dolly as is normal. Roughly 60 gallons of fuel were on board. Aircraft was deemed airworthy and rolled out on the dolly to a position in front of the hangar at a range from the hangar of approximately 30-45 feet. Space behind the aircraft described as “huge”. Noted by pilot that you have to “back” off of the dolly because “cart” used to pull the dolly was left attached to dolly which is also normal. Aircraft start was accomplished without incident or issue. Aircraft throttle was advanced to full throttle and all indications were normal.
When attempting to lift the aircraft off of the dolly, it was noted that the aircraft was “aft heavy” which was expected as pilot was solo and had 60 gallons of fuel on board. When power was applied pilot noted the nose began to rise and pilot added power. The “heels” of the skids/landing gear were still on the dolly and were “stuck”. As pilot thought to lower the collective control, but before the pilot could complete the action, the skids came off of the dolly with a “pop” and the aircraft started to rotate right. Pilot indicated a “drift” forward toward the cart during the rotation and began a “side step” to get away from the cart and dolly. Pilot added additional power with the thought to gain altitude so as to avoid hitting the cart with the tail as the aircraft rotated. The pilot indicated that the aircraft rotated “at least three times”. On the last rotation, lowered the collective which slowed the rotation and then the tail (tail rotor guard or “stinger”) contacted the ground. Pilot indicated that this contact stopped the spin but that the landing gear was not on the ground when contact was made. Once rotation was stopped and the aircraft was in a stable hover, moved the aircraft at a 45 degree angle away from the dolly and hangar and landed on the ramp where pilot rolled the throttle to idle.
Aircraft was put back on the dolly later by the supervisor pilot (not accident pilot). Aircraft was not discovered to have damage to the tail boom until later by a mechanic.
Note: will amend if more information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT ON 3/26/2024 APPROX 1330
PILOT RELEVANT FLIGHT TIME:
TOTAL HELICOPTER TIME: 219.5 HRS.
TURBINE TIME: 118 HRS.
MAKE AND MODEL: 79 HRS.
SOLO MAKE AND MODEL: 23.7
PILOT IS CURRENT
NARRATIVE: (VIA PHONE)
PILOT WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE THE AIRCRAFT FOR A SOLO FLIGHT OF NOT MORE THAN AN HOUR. PRE-FLIGHT CONDUCTED INSIDE HANGAR ON A DOLLY AS IS NORMAL. ROUGHLY 60 GALLONS OF FUEL WERE ON BOARD. AIRCRAFT WAS DEEMED AIRWORTHY AND ROLLED OUT ON THE DOLLY TO A POSITION IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR AT A RANGE FROM THE HANGAR OF APPROXIMATELY 30-45 FEET. SPACE BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT DESCRIBED AS “HUGE”. NOTED BY PILOT THAT YOU HAVE TO “BACK” OFF OF THE DOLLY BECAUSE “CART” USED TO PULL THE DOLLY WAS LEFT ATTACHED TO DOLLY WHICH IS ALSO NORMAL. AIRCRAFT START WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT OR ISSUE. AIRCRAFT THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED TO FULL THROTTLE AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL.
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT OFF OF THE DOLLY, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS “AFT HEAVY” WHICH WAS EXPECTED AS PILOT WAS SOLO AND HAD 60 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED PILOT NOTED THE NOSE BEGAN TO RISE AND PILOT ADDED POWER. THE “HEELS” OF THE SKIDS/LANDING GEAR WERE STILL ON THE DOLLY AND WERE “STUCK”. AS PILOT THOUGHT TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL, BUT BEFORE THE PILOT COULD COMPLETE THE ACTION, THE SKIDS CAME OFF OF THE DOLLY WITH A “POP” AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO ROTATE RIGHT. PILOT INDICATED A “DRIFT” FORWARD TOWARD THE CART DURING THE ROTATION AND BEGAN A “SIDE STEP” TO GET AWAY FROM THE CART AND DOLLY. PILOT ADDED ADDITIONAL POWER WITH THE THOUGHT TO GAIN ALTITUDE SO AS TO AVOID HITTING THE CART WITH THE TAIL AS THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED “AT LEAST THREE TIMES”. ON THE LAST ROTATION, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE WHICH SLOWED THE ROTATION AND THEN THE TAIL (TAIL ROTOR GUARD OR “STINGER”) CONTACTED THE GROUND. PILOT INDICATED THAT THIS CONTACT STOPPED THE SPIN BUT THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT ON THE GROUND WHEN CONTACT WAS MADE. ONCE ROTATION WAS STOPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A STABLE HOVER, MOVED THE AIRCRAFT AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AWAY FROM THE DOLLY AND HANGAR AND LANDED ON THE RAMP WHERE PILOT ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE.
AIRCRAFT WAS PUT BACK ON THE DOLLY LATER BY THE SUPERVISOR PILOT (NOT ACCIDENT PILOT). AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DISCOVERED TO HAVE DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM UNTIL LATER BY A MECHANIC.
NOTE: WILL AMEND IF MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N67183 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.