# NTSB ATL03LA095: Aerospatiale AS355F2, N42AT, Bainbridge, GA, May 17, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 17, 2003, 09:55 local (13:55 UTC) - Place: Bainbridge, GA - Coordinates: 30.974721, -84.639999 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9747&lon=-84.6400&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 25, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: American Eurocopter, Atlanta FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 57002 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL03LA095 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57002/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03LA095 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper flare during an attempted landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot stated he had just completed refueling and picked the helicopter up to a hover. He hovered over to another position on the ramp and turned the helicopter into the wind. He lowered the collective pitch and set the helicopter down hard on the ramp. The right rear skid contacted the ground and the aircraft began to shutter. After completing the engine shutdown he exited the helicopter and noticed that the tail boom support spar was cracked, the skin on both sides of the tailboom was wrinkled, and the star flex composite lead lag stabilizer was broken. Review of pilots records revealed the pilot had 7.5 total hours in the AS355 helicopter. ## Factual narrative On May 17, 2003, at 0955 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS355F2, N42AT, registered to Betaco Inc., operated by American Trans Air Executive Jet Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 91positioning flight, landed hard from a hover at the Decatur County Industrial Park, Bainbridge, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage. The commercial pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The flight originated from Decatur County Industrial Park, Bainbridge, Georgia, at 0955 on May 17, 2003. The pilot stated he had just completed refueling and picked the helicopter up to a hover. He hovered over to another position on the ramp and turned the helicopter into the wind. He lowered the collective pitch and set the helicopter down hard on the ramp. The right rear skid contacted the ground and the aircraft began to shutter. After completing the engine shutdown he exited the helicopter and noticed that the tail boom support spar was cracked, the skin on both sides of the tailboom was wrinkled and the star flex composite lead lag stabilizer was broken. Review of pilot training records obtained from Eurocopter revealed the pilot completed transition ground school and 3 hours of flight training in the AS355 on March 21, 2003. The pilot had logged 7.5 hours total flight time in the AS355 at the time of the accident, however the review of the pilot's flight logs also showed that he had accumulated 1,407 hours in helicopters. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N42AT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N42AT-2004-03-26), registration cancelled 2004-03-26, S/N 5462, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale AS355F2 - Registry model: [Aerospatiale AS355F2 ECUREUIL](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as355f2-ecureuil) (registry code 8680812) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C20 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (registry code 03020, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 5462 - Airframe hours: 2379 - Engines: Allison 250-C20F 317 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: American Trans Air Executive Jet Inc. - Registered owner: Betaco - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, May 16, 2003, 4 hours before - Departed: BGE, Bainbridge, GA - Destination: CHA, Chattanooga, TN - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: BGE, Decatur County Industrial Park ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 42; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter, airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review May 17, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 1,615 total, 7 in this make and model, 866 as pilot in command, 66 in the last 90 days, 14 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,900 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: BGE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030517010899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030517010899A), May 17, 2003: Aerosp AS355F2, Bainbridge, GA, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot reported he was repositioning the aircraft for departure after completing a ground refueling operation when the rear skid support inadvertently… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.