# NTSB FTW01LA081: Sikorsky SK-76A, N376AL, Ec 270, March 20, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 20, 2001, 10:41 local (16:41 UTC) - Place: Ec 270 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 8 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 30, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 51967 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW01LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51967/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA081 ## Probable cause the passenger's inadvertent encounter with the rotating main rotor blades. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Propeller/rotor contact to person, standing - idling rotors - propeller/jet blast encounter - inadvertent, passenger (cause) ## Analysis After a normal landing to an offshore platform, the helicopter was parked with the engine and main rotor blades operating at idle. A passenger entered the base of the heliport unexpectedly and unescorted through a stairwell that was located near the nose of the helicopter. The passenger walked into the path of the main rotor blades, was struck by a main rotor blade and received fatal injuries. ## Factual narrative On March 20, 2001, approximately 1041 central standard time, a Sikorsky SK-76A helicopter, registered to and operated by Air Logistics L.L.C., of New Iberia, Louisiana, was standing with rotors engaged on an offshore platform, East Cameron 270 (EC 270), when a passenger, attempting to board, was struck by a main rotor blade. The passenger sustained fatal injuries, and the pilot, co-pilot, and other passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand domestic air taxi flight. At the time of the accident, the flight had just arrived on the platform to drop off three of its nine passengers, and was picking up three other passengers (one of whom was the fatally injured passenger) . According to the pilot-in-command statement, after a normal landing to offshore platform EC 270, he "retarded the throttles" to idle. The co-pilot and one passenger exited the left side, and two passengers exited the right side of the helicopter. Approximately one minute later, the pilot heard a noise and saw (5 feet from the nose of the helicopter at his 2 o'clock position) that a passenger fell to the heliport. The pilot kept the helicopter running to keep the rotor blades away from assisting personnel. After the personnel were clear of the blades, the pilot shutdown the helicopter. The passenger had entered the base of the heliport through a stairwell that was located near the nose of the helicopter. The nose of the helicopter was oriented at a heading of 230 degrees. At the time of the landing, the wind direction was variable from 300 to 020 degrees at 35 knots, gusting to 40 knots. The co-pilot added that he "visually checked the front rotor tip path plane and it was set properly." The passenger came onto the heliport unexpectedly and unescorted. According to the Sikorsky 76 Maintenance Manual (SA 4047-76-2, revision Apr 15/83), the main rotor blade's ground clearance while rotating at flight idle, is 8 feet, 1 inch, and the main rotor blade's ground clearance in the static position is 6 feet, 3.2 inches. On March 18, 2001, the passenger attended a helicopter safety meeting that was held at the EC 270 platform. The safety meeting topics included: "beware of tail rotor, never carry any item vertically to chopper, and additional helicopter safety issues." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N376AL](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N376AL-2024-07-25), registration cancelled 2024-07-25, S/N 760002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Sikorsky SK-76A - Registry model: [Sikorsky S-76A](https://openairdocs.org/model/sikorsky-s-76a) (registry code 8143006) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 76002 - Airframe hours: 18899.7 - Engines: Allison C-30 1300 horsepower turbo shaft; Allison C-30 1300 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Air Logistics Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 18, 2001, 3.8 hours before - Departed: NONE, EC 359, GM - Destination: NONE, EC 270, GM - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; airline transport; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review October 24, 2000; seat: center; flight hours: 16,347 total, 705 in this make and model, 15,179 as pilot in command, 179 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 55; injuries: none; airline transport; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review March 1, 2000; seat: right; flight hours: 12,211 total, 1,918 in this make and model, 10,770 as pilot in command, 177 in the last 90 days, 38 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 35 knots, gusting 40 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010320004579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010320004579A), Mar 20, 2001: Skrsky S76A, No damage, 1 fatal. (-23) While deplaing passengers at an offshore heliport, a waiting passenger entered the heliport area unescorted. The passenger was struck in the head by the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.