- Date
- March 17, 2011, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf of Mexico, LA
- Coordinates
- 28.7289, -91.8758 (estimated)
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N974RHBell 230
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110317005109A
- Case key
- 78570
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 adequate clearance from the safety skirting during the repositioning landing.
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 pilot was asked to reposition the helicopter on the helideck in an effort to clear a space for a helicopter that was coming in to land. During the repositioning landing, the pilot felt a high frequency vibration and the helicopter began to shudder. The pilot landed and after egressing the helicopter, discovered that a piece of tail rotor skin was lodged in the skirting; the tailrotor had impacted the safety skirting. The helicopter's tailboom sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot was asked to reposition the helicopter on the helideck to make room for a helicopter that was coming in to land. He performed a walk around inspection of the area, and was aware of the location and height of the helideck safety skirting. During the repositioning landing, the pilot felt a high frequency vibration and the helicopter began to shudder. After the accident, a piece of tail rotor skin was found lodged in the skirting. The tailrotor had impacted the skirting. Substantial damage occurred to the helicopter's tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter in reference to the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N974RH
- Reported as
- Bell 230
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 23020
- Airframe hours
- 4,205
- Engines
- Allison 250-C30/G2, 734 horsepower, turbo shaftAllison 250-C30/G2, 734 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Republic Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Republic Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 3, 2011
- Departed
- 2TE1 · Santa Fe, TX
- Destination
- PVT · Gulf of Mexico, LA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PVT · South Marsh Island #50
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 6, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,280 total · 1,108 in this make and model · 10,145 as pilot in command · 134 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- AXH, 195 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB 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.