- Date
- July 16, 2000, 01:40 local (06:40 UTC)
- Place
- Allen, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N312LSMbb BK-117-A3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000716007239A
- Case key
- 49756
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 obstacle clearance while hovering the helicopter. A contributing factor was the dark night light conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial helicopter pilot terminated the night approach to a 6 to 8-foot hover, with 'trees and 2 post-box's to the right and a large ditch to the left.' The pilot hovered the helicopter sideways to the left to move away from the trees. He then started a left pedal turn to face EMS units located behind the helicopter. He had turned the helicopter approximately 120 degrees, 'when I moved backwards' and struck the trees with the tail rotor. He immediately stopped the turn and moved the helicopter forward before losing tail rotor control. As the helicopter began to spin, he 'lowered the collective and landed hard.' The tail rotor drive shaft forward of the 45 degree gearbox was sheared.
Factual narrative
On July 16, 2000, at 0140 central daylight time, a MBB BK-117-A3 helicopter, N312LS, was substantially damaged when the tail rotor contacted trees while hovering in-ground effect near Allen, Texas. The helicopter was registered to the General Electric Capital Corporation of Dallas, Texas, and operated by Omniflight Helicopters, Inc., of Addison, Texas. The commercial pilot and the two medical crewmembers were not injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company VFR flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The air ambulance flight originated from the Garland/DFW Heloplex Heliport, Garland, Texas, at 0130.
The pilot reported that he terminated the night approach to a 6 to 8-foot hover, with "trees and 2 post-box's to the right and a large ditch to the left." He hovered the helicopter sideways to the left to move away from the trees. He then started a left pedal turn to face EMS units located behind the helicopter. He had turned the helicopter approximately 120 degrees, "when I moved backwards" and struck the trees with the tail rotor. He immediately stopped the turn and moved the helicopter forward before losing tail rotor control. As the helicopter began to spin, he "lowered the collective and landed hard."
The FAA inspector, who examined the helicopter, reported that the tail rotor drive shaft forward of the 45 degree gearbox was sheared. Both tail rotor blades sustained damage, and the aft cross tube for the landing skids was spread.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N312LS
- Reported as
- Mbb BK-117-A3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7061
- Airframe hours
- 6,508
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS101-650-1, 550 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Omniflight Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ge Capital
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 5, 2000 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- T57 · Garland, TX
- Destination
- NONE
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,720 total · 220 in this make and model · 3,540 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.