- Date
- September 24, 2012, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Theodore, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N781PSikorsky S-76C
- Defining event
- Taxi: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120924022099A
- Case key
- 85154
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 obstacle clearance while taxiing.
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 pilot reported that during a hover-taxi maneuver, the tail rotor made contact with the main rotor blade of a parked helicopter that was tied down. The taxiing helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor blades. The pilot did not report and postaccident examination did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a hover taxi maneuver, the tail rotor made contact with a main rotor blade of a parked helicopter that was tied down. The taxiing helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor blades. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N781P
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760630
- Airframe hours
- 7,573
- Engines
- 2S2, 923 hp, turbo shaftTurbomeca 2S2, 923 hp, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Phi Inc
- Registered owner
- Phi Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 22, 2012 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- 2AL4 · Bayou La Batre, AL
- Destination
- HUM · Houma, AL
- Airport
- 2AL4 · Bayou La Batre
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,195 total · 776 in this make and model · 1,386 as pilot in command · 137 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,208 total · 83 in this make and model · 3,888 as pilot in command · 134 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- BFM
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 13, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 707 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.