- Date
- April 3, 1997, 18:30 local (Apr 4, 1997, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Laredo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N90485Bell BH-47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970403040889A
- Case key
- 20192
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 alignment while landing on a stationary trailer. A factor was the pilot's lack of experience in trailer landing operations.
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 pilot was in the process of purchasing the helicopter from a business located at the airport. After a successful acceptance flight earlier that morning, the pilot landed the helicopter on the ramp, shut down, and finalized the deal. He had driven a trailer to the airport to transport the helicopter back to Louisiana after the purchase. The pilot stated that he descended slowly down to the trailer platform, positioning the left skid as close to the left rail as possible. Upon touch down, the helicopter slid about 1 inch to the right, but the left skid looked square to the left rail. As the pilot lowered the collective, he felt the helicopter drifting to the right skid and applied power and left lateral cyclic to arrest the drift. Subsequently, the craft banked sharply to the left and the rotor blades struck the ground. As the helicopter rolled to the left, the tail boom was severed. According to the pilot, this was the first time that he had landed on a stationary trailer. A FAA inspector reported that the width of the trailer was about 4 inches wider than the helicopter's landing skids.
Factual narrative
On April 3, 1997, approximately 1830 central standard time, a Bell 47 helicopter, N90485, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while attempting to land on a stationary transport trailer, at Laredo International Airport, Laredo, Texas. The commercial rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight.
During an interview with the investigator-in-charge, the pilot stated that he was in the process of purchasing the helicopter from a business located at the airport. After a successful acceptance flight earlier that morning, the pilot landed the helicopter on the ramp, shut down, and finalized the deal. He had driven a trailer to the airport to transport the helicopter back to Louisiana after the purchase.
The person that sold the helicopter to the pilot stated that he and the pilot discussed loading the helicopter onto the trailer utilizing a crane, but the pilot optioned to hover and land the aircraft on the trailer. Several witnesses observed the helicopter hovering over the trailer and attempting to land. They reported that as the helicopter touched down on the trailer, the right skid "slid off" the right side of the trailer. They subsequently observed the helicopter roll to the left and impact the ground, with the rotor blades striking the ground first.
The pilot stated that he descended slowly down to the trailer platform, positioning the left skid as close to the left rail as possible. He further stated that upon touch down, the helicopter slid about 1 inch to the right, but the left skid looked square to the left rail. As he lowered the collective, he felt the helicopter drifting to the right skid and applied power and left lateral cyclic to arrest the drift. Subsequently, the craft banked sharply to the left and the rotor blades struck the ground. As the helicopter rolled to the left, the tail boom was severed.
According to the pilot, this was the first time that he had landed on a trailer. A FAA inspector reported that the width of the trailer was about 4 inches wider than the helicopter's landing skids.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90485
- Reported as
- Bell BH-47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 696
- Airframe hours
- 11,082
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Louis Mccarthy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1997 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- LRD
- Destination
- LRD
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- LRD · Laredo International
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 278 total · 83 in this make and model · 214 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LRD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.