- Date
- March 12, 2022, 18:45 local (Mar 13, 2022, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Texarkana, AR · 64XS Heliport
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N761AFSikorsky S-76D
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220312001719A
- Case key
- 104810
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 adequate clearance during landing on a rooftop helipad.
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 that he was on approach to a hospital rooftop helipad that he had never landed at before. About 30 ft above ground level, he felt a “thump” in the pedals; the helicopter vibrated, pitched forward, rolled left, then yawed right. The pilot landed the helicopter on the helipad. After the accident the pilot discovered that the tail rotor had contacted the building. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor, tail rotor drivetrain, and tail pylon. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N761AF
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 761039
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 4,747.7
- Engines
- Pratt and Whitney PW210S, 1,123 horsepower, turbo shaftPratt and Whitney Canada PW210S, 1,123 lbs thrust, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Arkansas Children's Hospital
- Registered owner
- Arkansas Children's Hospital
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 20, 2022
- Departed
- AR62 · Little Rock, AR
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 64XS · Heliport Texarkana Wadley Regional Medical Center
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3,211 total · 173 in this make and model · 1,879 as pilot in command · 128 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 0 ft
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KTXK, 3.2 nm away
- METAR
- KLIT 122353Z 05003KT 10SM FEW250 06/M10 A3037 RMK AO2 SLP287 T00561100 10072 20017 56016
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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 N761AF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.