- Date
- July 2, 2014, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Olathe, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N225TVRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) shutdown: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20140702017299A
- Case key
- 89603
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 follow the manufacturer's engine shutdown procedure.
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
The pilot reported he landed at the airport without incident. During engine shutdown, he applied rotor brake to slow the main rotor blades. When the pilot released the brake, he heard a bang and felt an impact to the aircraft on the rear left side. He reapplied the main rotor brake intermittently until the blades stopped. The pilot exited the aircraft and noticed a tail boom strike occurred. He stated he input aft cyclic during landing to accommodate landing slightly downhill and did not place the controls in neutral during shutdown. According to the manufacture's shutdown procedures, the cyclic and pedals should be in the neutral position.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he landed at the airport without incident. During engine shutdown, he applied rotor brake to slow the main rotor blades. When the pilot released the brake, he heard a bang and felt an impact to the aircraft on the rear left side. He reapplied the main rotor brake intermittently until the blades stopped. The pilot exited the aircraft and noticed a tail boom strike occurred. He stated he input aft cyclic during landing to accommodate landing slightly downhill and did not place the controls in neutral during shutdown. According to the manufacture's shutdown procedures, the cyclic and pedals should be in the neutral position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N225TV
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0253
- Built
- 1996
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- KC Copters
- Registered owner
- Ehl LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 26, 2013
- Departed
- Iola, KS
- Destination
- OJC · Olathe, KS
- Airport
- OJC · Johnson County Executive
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 950 in this make and model · 39.4 in the last 90 days · 21.7 in the last 30 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KOJC
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 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.