- Date
- September 18, 2012, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Slaton, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N957RRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120918019069A
- Case key
- 85079
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 misalignment of the helicopter during landing, which resulted in the helicopter’s fall from a raised platform.
Findings · 1
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
After a local flight, the pilot positioned the helicopter onto its platform trailer. The helicopter’s left skid touched down on the metal surface, and the pilot then lowered the right skid to the platform. The helicopter started to slip off the platform, so the pilot raised the collective to correct the problem. However, the helicopter fell to the left, the main rotor impacted the ground, and the tail boom was severed. The helicopter came to rest on the skids; the fuel tank was compromised and a post-crash fire consumed a majority of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
After a local flight, the pilot positioned the helicopter onto its platform trailer. The helicopter’s left skid touched down on the metal surface and the pilot then lowered the right skid to the platform. The helicopter started to slip off the platform, so the pilot raised the collective to correct the problem. However, the helicopter fell to the left, the main rotor impacted the ground, and the tail boom was severed. The helicopter came to rest on the skids: the fuel tank was compromised and a post-crash fire consumed a majority of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N957R
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10598
- Airframe hours
- 1,004
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 91
- Operator
- GB Aerial Applications, Inc
- Registered owner
- GB Aerial Applications, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 2, 2011
- Departed
- F49 · Slaton, TX
- Destination
- F49 · Slaton, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- F49 · Slaton Municipal
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- KLBB, 13 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 312 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.