- Date
- February 8, 2017, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Price, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N6640ZHughes OH 6A
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Ground handling event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 94704
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 fuel truck driver’s failure to stop before impacting the helicopter’s main rotor blades.
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 helicopter pilot reported that, after landing to refuel, he reduced power to flight idle and initiated a 2-minute cooldown before shutting off the engine. One minute into the cooldown, the fuel truck approached the helicopter from the rear and struck the main rotor blades. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that after landing to refuel, he reduced power to flight idle and initiated a 2-minute cool down prior to shutting off the engine. He further reported that one minute into the cool down, the fuel truck approached the helicopter from the rear and struck the main rotor blades. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6640Z
- Reported as
- Hughes OH 6A (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 66-16076
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 12,701.2
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20B, 460 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - federal · Public use
- Operator
- Usda Aphis Ws Atoc
- Registered owner
- Usda Aphis Ws Atoc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 2, 2017
- Departed
- PUC · Price, UT
- Destination
- East Carbon, UT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,350 total · 2,315 in this make and model · 4,110 as pilot in command
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Unknown
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KPUC, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 8, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 MB in all.