- Date
- April 17, 2009, 09:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N25PMBell 206
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 73676
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 aircraft control during taxi, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter in a swampy area adjacent to a pier, then water-taxied close to the pier to allow his passenger to disembark. The pilot was aware of tall PVC pipes near the tail rotor. After the passenger stepped out onto the pier, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter by sliding it to the right, with the intention of then turning into the wind and departing. As the helicopter was sliding, the left float began to lift up, and he corrected with full left cyclic. The helicopter continued to slide to the right; it then rolled onto its right side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that wet mud may have accumulated around the right float and a dynamic rollover occurred. The pilot reported surface winds from the northeast at 15 to 20 knots, with gusts to 25 knots. He reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter in a swampy area adjacent to a pier, then water-taxied close to the pier to allow his passenger to disembark. The pilot was aware of tall PVC pipes near the tail rotor. After the passenger stepped out onto the pier, the pilot maneuvered the helicopter by sliding it to the right, with the intention of then turning into the wind and departing. As the helicopter was sliding, the left float began to lift up, and he corrected with full left cyclic. The helicopter continued to slide to the right; it then rolled onto its right side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that wet mud may have accumulated around the right float and a dynamic rollover occurred. The pilot reported surface winds from the northeast at 15 to 20 knots, with gusts to 25 knots. He reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25PM
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1839
- Airframe hours
- 7,489
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250C-20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Coastal Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Papa Mike Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 30, 2009 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Destination
- West Palm Beach, FL
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 10, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 5,700 in this make and model · 6,950 as pilot in command · 157 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.8 MB in all.