- Date
- October 19, 2012, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Helena, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N57948Aerospatiale SA315B
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121019025709A
- Case key
- 85418
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 properly secure the cyclic and to stop the main rotor system before exiting the helicopter, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking the tail rotor driveshaft.
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 performing external load operations and landed the helicopter to reset a cone that had blown over by the wind. After landing, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle and exited the helicopter. While walking away from the helicopter, the pilot heard a bang and noticed the main rotor blades had contacted the tail boom area. The pilot ran back to the helicopter and pushed the cyclic, which was in the full aft position, forward. The pilot estimated the wind to be 18 knots, gusting to 24 knots, and reported that he did not properly set the cyclic friction lock before departing the helicopter. Examination of the helicopter showed the tail rotor driveshaft had separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. According to the flight manual, the rotor brake should be applied to stop the main rotor system prior to exiting the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot was performing external load operations and landed the helicopter to reset a cone that had blown over by the wind. After landing, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle and exited the helicopter. While walking away from the helicopter, the pilot heard a bang and noticed the main rotor blades had contacted the tail boom area. The pilot ran back to the helicopter and pushed the cyclic forward which was in the full aft position. The pilot estimated the winds to be 18 knots, gusting to 24 knots, and reported he did not properly set the cyclic friction lock prior to departing the helicopter. Examination of the helicopter showed the tail rotor driveshaft had separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. According to the flight manual, the rotor brake should be applied to stop the main rotor system prior to exiting the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57948
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA315B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2628
- Airframe hours
- 14,166
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIB, 858 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Trans Aero Limited
- Registered owner
- Trans Aero Limited
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 2012
- Departed
- Helena, OK
- Destination
- Helena, OK
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 23, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 18,890 total · 2,703 in this make and model · 17,890 as pilot in command · 203 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.
Other investigations on N57948 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.