- Date
- August 24, 2016, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Peach Springs, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N839PAAirbus AS350
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA, Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses, Airbus Helicopters (Advisor)
- FAA report
- 20160824017909I
- Case key
- 93895
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 clearance from terrain while hover taxiing backward, resulting in the tail striking terrain.
Findings · 3
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 pilot reported that as the helicopter was in a hover and backed off of the landing pad, the vertical stabilizer impacted rising terrain. The pilot further reported that he was able to land back on the landing pad 30 feet away with no further incident. A post examination of the helicopter revealed that the rear vertical stabilizer had received substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that as the helicopter was in a hover and backed off of the landing pad, the vertical stabilizer impacted rising terrain. The pilot further reported that he was able to land back on the landing pad 30 feet away with no further incident. A post examination of the helicopter revealed that the rear vertical stabilizer had received substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N839PA
- Reported as
- Airbus AS350 (B3)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7675
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 2,903.8
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 2d, 951 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Papillon Airways Inc., doing business as Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Monacrh Enterprises Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 11, 2016
- Departed
- 1G4 · Peach Springs, AZ
- Destination
- 1G4 · Peach Springs, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- 1G4 · Grand Canyon West
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, Video recording device
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,268 total · 271 in this make and model · 2,164 as pilot in command · 221 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KIGM, 44 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.