# NTSB FTW03LA178: Aerospatiale AS350BA, N147BH, Ship Shoal 80, July 7, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 7, 2003, 18:22 local (23:22 UTC) - Place: Ship Shoal 80 - Coordinates: 28.916666, -91.300003 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.9167&lon=-91.3000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 57312 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW03LA178 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/57312/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA178 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the safety fence while landing on an off-shore helipad. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, landing - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - object - fence ## Analysis The pilot made a "normal" approach into the wind to the center of an off-shore helipad and was terminating to a 4 to 5-foot hover. As the pilot leveled the helicopter to set it down on the deck, he heard a loud "metal crunching" noise coming from the rear of the aircraft. The helicopter began rotating to the left and drifting rearward. The pilot was able to set the helicopter on the deck after it made about 1.5 revolutions. The pilot reported that the wind was from 120 degrees at 10 knots. An examination of the landing area, by an FAA inspector, revealed damage to the safety fence that was consistent with tail rotor contact. ## Factual narrative On July 7, 2003, at 1822 central daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS350BA single-engine helicopter, N147BH, was substantially damaged when the tail rotor contacted the safety fence while landing on the helipad for the Ship Shoal 80 offshore oil platform, located in the Gulf of Mexico. The helicopter was registered to CFS Air LLC of Danbury, Connecticut, and was being operated by Texair Helicopters, Inc., of Houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rule (VFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 domestic on-demand air taxi flight. The flight originated from the nearby Ship Shoal 79 helipad, at 1809. The 8,800 hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that he made a "normal" approach into the wind to the center of the helipad and was terminating his approach at a 4 to 5-foot hover. The pilot added that as he leveled the helicopter to set it down on the deck, he heard a loud "metal crunching" noise coming from the rear of the aircraft. The helicopter began rotating to the left and drifting rearward. The helicopter made about 1.5 revolutions before contacting the deck. After deck contact, the helicopter continued to drift to the left. The pilot stopped the drift, and the helicopter came to rest upright. The pilot further reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was from 120 degrees at 10 knots. According to the FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, the tail boom was partially separated aft of the horizontal stabilizer, and both tail rotor blades were separated near the hub. An examination of the landing area, revealed damage to the safety fence that was consistent with tail rotor contact. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N147BH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N147BH-2013-05-24), registration cancelled 2013-05-24, S/N 1273, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Aerospatiale AS350BA - Registry model: [Aerospatiale AS350B](https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as350b) (registry code 8680800) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (registry code 60030, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 1273 - Airframe hours: 9264.9 - Engines: Turbomeca Arriel 1B 529 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Texair Helicopters, Inc. - Registered owner: CFS Air LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 28, 2003, 22.3 hours before - Departed: Ship Shoal 79, GM - Destination: Ship Shoal 80, GM - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review August 26, 2002; seat: right; flight hours: 8,800 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 8,600 as pilot in command, 210 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 10 knots - Visibility: 3 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F ## 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 20030707021389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030707021389A), Jul 7, 2003: Snias AS350B, Substantial damage. (-23) After terminating in a hover configuration over the platform the pilot heard a loud noise. This initial loud noise was followed by an uncontrolled spin… 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.