- Date
- May 4, 2009, 15:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- High Island 138
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N164RLBell 407
- Defining event
- Approach: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20090504006709A
- Case key
- 73774
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the windsock during the approach.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was approaching an off-shore oil platform and positioned the helicopter to land "into the wind." The intended flight path crossed over a crane with a windsock on top. Having observed the obstructions, the pilot continued the approach to the helideck. As the helicopter overflew the crane, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the windsock, resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter's tail boom section. The pilot was able to land the damaged helicopter on the oil platform's helideck.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot was approaching an off-shore oil platform and positioned the helicopter to land "into the wind." The intended flight path crossed over a crane with a windsock on top. Having observed the obstructions, the pilot continued the approach to the helideck. As the helicopter overflew the crane, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the windsock resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter's tail boom section. The pilot was able to land the damaged helicopter on the oil platform's helideck.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N164RL
- Reported as
- Bell 407
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 53140
- Airframe hours
- 7,169
- Engine
- Allison 250-C47B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Rotorcraft Leasing Co LLC
- Registered owner
- Rotorcraft Leasing Co LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 1, 2009
- Departed
- High Island 170, GM
- Destination
- High Island 138, GM
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 000 · High Island 138
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 29, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,097 total · 340 in this make and model · 2,025 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KLCH, 125 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 27, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 665 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.