- Date
- November 18, 2014, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8371FMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 9, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 90405
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
An undetermined pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an electrical transmission tower resulting in substantial damage to a main rotor blade. Postaccident investigation could not determine which of two pilots was flying the helicopter at the time the damage occurred.
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
According to the operator, a preflight was completed before the helicopter was moved to the landing zone and no anomalies were noted. The helicopter was then equipped with an aerial platform and measuring equipment to perform the planned work in the vicinity of powerlines. Subsequently, the helicopter departed the landing zone. Due to the atmospheric condition at the aerial work site, the pilot discontinued the aerial work and returned to the landing zone. A "senior" pilot was consulted, and replaced the first pilot. The "senior" pilot decided to depart and assess the situation from the air. A short time later the flight returned to the landing zone. The first pilot performed a "short" postflight examination of the helicopter and noticed that a main rotor blade was substantially damaged. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, neither pilots nor crew members noticed any abnormal flight characteristics of the helicopter prior to discovering the main rotor blade damage. The investigation was unable to determine which flight the main rotor blade incurred the substantial damage.
Factual narrative
According to the operator, a preflight was completed before the helicopter was moved to the landing zone and no anomalies were noted. The helicopter was then equipped with an aerial platform and measuring equipment to perform the planned work in the vicinity of powerlines. Subsequently, the helicopter departed the landing zone. Due to the atmospheric condition at the aerial work site, the pilot discontinued the aerial work and returned to the landing zone. A "senior" pilot was consulted, and replaced the first pilot. The "senior" pilot decided to depart and assess the situation from the air. A short time later the flight returned to the landing zone. The first pilot performed a "short" postflight examination of the helicopter and noticed that a main rotor blade was substantially damaged. The operator reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, neither pilots nor crew members noticed any abnormal flight characteristics of the helicopter prior to discovering the main rotor blade damage. The investigation was unable to determine which flight the main rotor blade incurred the substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8371F
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0399E
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 21,486.7
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20B, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Haverfield International Inc
- Registered owner
- Haverfield International Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 25, 2014
- Departed
- DCU · Decatur, AL
- Destination
- DCU · Decatur, AL
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device
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
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.43 inHg
- Observed at
- KDCU, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 28, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.