- Date
- April 9, 2024, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ceiba, PR · Over Taxiway A
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5841ZMD Helicopters 369FF
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240409005259A
- Case key
- 194063
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 pilots’ failure to ensure adequate clearance from the taxiway while performing a quick stop maneuver.
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 accident pilot was new to the company, and he and the chief pilot were practicing quick stop maneuvers in the helicopter. The pilots reported that while performing a quick stop maneuver over a taxiway, they heard a noise before the nose of the helicopter began turning right and the skids touched down. Postaccident examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that its horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged. Photographs of the horizontal stabilizer and tail rotor displayed signatures consistent with both contacting the ground during the quick stop maneuver. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5841Z
- Reported as
- MD Helicopters 369FF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0135FF
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 5,562.9
- Engine
- Rolls Royce RR250-C30, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Luma Energy Servco, LLC, doing business as Luma
- Registered owner
- Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 26, 2024 · 55.8 hours before
- Departed
- TJSJ · San Juan, PR
- Destination
- TJRU · Ceiba, PR
- Airport
- RVR · Jose Aponte De La Torre
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,780 total · 4.5 in this make and model · 1,740 as pilot in command · 94.9 in the last 90 days · 36.9 in the last 30 days · 0.7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,500 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- TJNR
- METAR
- TJNR 091353Z AUTO 06010G16KT 10SM BKN028 OVC036 26/21 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP183 T02610211 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.3 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.