- Date
- January 2, 2014, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Temple, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N400XLBell 206B
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140102000809A
- Case key
- 88622
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 loss of control while landing on a mobile helipad.
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
On January 2, 2014, about 1700 central standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N400XL, experienced a roll over while repositioning from the ramp to a mobile helipad. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Engemann Aviation Services, LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which originated from Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (KTPL) in Temple, Texas. The pilot reported he was relocating the helicopter from the parking ramp to a mobile helipad approximately 30 feet away. As the pilot lowered the helicopter onto the mobile helipad, the left rear skid slipped off the pad. The helicopter rolled over and impacted the ground on its right side. The rollover resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor head, including separation of the rotor blades, and separation of the tail boom.
Factual narrative
On January 2, 2014, about 1700 central standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N400XL, experienced a roll over while repositioning from the ramp to a mobile helipad. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Engemann Aviation Services, LLC under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which originated from Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (KTPL) in Temple, Texas. The pilot reported he was relocating the helicopter from the parking ramp to a mobile helipad approximately 30 feet away. As the pilot lowered the helicopter onto the mobile helipad, the left rear skid slipped off the pad. The helicopter rolled over and impacted the ground on its right side. The rollover resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor head, including separation of the rotor blades, and separation of the tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400XL
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2115
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 12,177
- Engine
- Rolls-Royc 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Engemann Aviation Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Engemann Aviation Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 2013
- Departed
- TPL · Temple, TX
- Destination
- TPL · Temple, TX
- Airport
- TPL · Draughon-Miller Central Texas
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 11,102 total · 3,200 in this make and model · 11,012 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- KTPL
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.