- Date
- May 25, 2017, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Peach Springs, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N153GCEurocopter EC130
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170525010999A
- Case key
- 95387
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 ground crewman’s failure to hold onto the passenger door while the main rotor was still rotating, which resulted in the door separating from the helicopter and damaging the main rotor.
Findings · 2
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 of the helicopter reported that, after fueling the helicopter with the engine running, the ground crewman opened the front passenger door on the opposite side from the pilot. Upon unlatching the door, the ground crewman released the door, and it was blown open. The door separated from the door strut and struck the main rotor, damaging the 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 helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter reported that, after fueling the helicopter with the engine running, the ground crewman opened the front passenger door on the opposite side from the pilot. Upon unlatching the door, the ground crewman released the door, and it was blown open. The door separated from the door strut, and struck the main rotor damaging the 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 helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N153GC
- Reported as
- Eurocopter EC130 (B4)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7074
- Built
- 2010
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 2B1, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- 1G4 · Peach Springs, AZ
- Airport
- 1G4 · Grand Canyon West
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 9, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,040 total · 1,220 in this make and model · 2,983 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.68 inHg
- Observed at
- KIGM, 44 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.