- Date
- September 29, 2016, 22:00 local (Sep 30, 2016, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fargo, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N903SHBell 230
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20160929019709A
- Case key
- 94151
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 clearance from the ground obstacle during the landing with gusting winds present.
Findings · 4
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 that he performed his approach into the wind. On short final he could feel periodic gusts of wind. The pilot executed the standard approach to the helipad and the helicopter encountered another gust that picked the helicopter's nose up as it was moving over the pad. He maneuvered the helicopter to center it over the pad when he heard a sound like "metal on metal as if the tail rotor had hit something a couple times." The pilot felt no initial feedback in the controls, he felt the helicopter yaw to the left, and the helicopter continued to yaw to the left with his full application of right pedal. He lowered the collective and rolled off the throttle to enter a hovering autorotation and attempted to land it as level as possible. The helicopter landed hard. The operator reported substantial ground damage occurred to the tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor blades and a review of images revealed damage to the tailboom. A nearby fence and light were reported to be damaged. The operator's accident report indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he performed his approach into the wind. On short final he could feel periodic gusts of wind. The pilot executed the standard approach to the helipad and the helicopter encountered another gust that picked the helicopter's nose up as it was moving over the pad. He maneuvered the helicopter to center it over the pad when he heard a sound like "metal on metal as if the tail rotor had hit something a couple times." The pilot felt no initial feedback in the controls, he felt the helicopter yaw to the left, and the helicopter continued to yaw to the left with his full application of right pedal. He lowered the collective and rolled off the throttle to enter a hovering autorotation and attempted to land it as level as possible. The helicopter landed hard. The operator reported substantial ground damage occurred to the tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor blades and a review of images revealed damage to the tailboom. A nearby fence and light were reported to be damaged. The operator's accident report indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N903SH
- Reported as
- Bell 230 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 23002
- Built
- 1994
- Airframe hours
- 9,012.4
- Engines
- Allison 250-C30 SER, 650 horsepower, turbo shaftAllison 250-C30 SER, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Sanford Health, doing business as Sanford AirMed
- Registered owner
- Sanford Health
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- September 6, 2016
- Departed
- KFAR · Fargo, ND
- Destination
- ND48 · Fargo, ND
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- ND48 · Sanford Health, runway H1, 30 × 30 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Onboard weather
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,209.1 total · 197.6 in this make and model · 1,589 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KFAR, 3 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 30, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.