- Date
- January 20, 2009, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N369PDMD Helicopter 369E
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090120013279I
- Case key
- 73262
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
Wind gusts during engine shutdown, which resulted in the main rotor blades contacting the tailboom.
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 helicopter pilot was informed before landing about the wind direction and velocity (330 degrees at 18 knots with gusts to 28 knots). After an uneventful landing he began shutdown of the helicopter. He applied down collective and friction, and following a 2-minute cooldown period for the engine he closed the throttle and guarded the cyclic control. When the main rotor was at 200 rpm, he felt a wind gust from the right side of the helicopter and then heard a loud sound. He applied the rotor brake and exited the helicopter after the main rotor blades stopped. At that time he noted damage to the main rotor blades and also to the tailboom.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the MD Helicopter 369E was informed before landing about the wind direction and velocity (330 degrees at 18 knots with gusts to 28 knots). After an uneventful landing the co-pilot exited the helicopter and he began shutdown of the helicopter. He applied down collective and friction, and following a 2-minute cool down period for the engine, he closed the throttle and guarded the cyclic control. When the main rotor was at 200 rpm, he felt a wind gust from the right side of the helicopter and then heard a loud sound. He applied the rotor brake and exited the helicopter after the main rotor blades stopped. At that time he noted damage to the main rotor blades and also to the tailboom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N369PD
- Reported as
- MD Helicopter 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0557E
- Airframe hours
- 3,395
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20 SER, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - local · Part 91
- Operator
- City of Atlanta Police Department
- Registered owner
- Atlanta Police Department
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 11, 2008
- Departed
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- ATL · Atlanta, GA
- Airport
- ATL · Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int
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
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 986 total · 720 in this make and model · 762 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 23 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 4, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 508 KB 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.