- Date
- November 10, 2019, 13:16 local (18:16 UTC)
- Place
- Lebanon, IN
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N827MWSikorsky S 58JT
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191110020969A
- Case key
- 100548
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 proper clearance from a tractor trailer during landing.
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 he conducted a low-reconnaissance flight in the helicopter over the intended landing site, which was just east of a building. Shortly after, he realized that the landing site had changed to west of the building. He maneuvered the helicopter to a hover over the new landing site about 75 ft above ground level and started a vertical descent. During the descent, a company mechanic seated in the left seat told the pilot of an obstacle left of the helicopter. He acknowledged seeing the obstacle and continued to descend. Shortly after touchdown, as the pilot reduced the throttle setting to idle, the main rotor blades struck a tractor trailer, the helicopter yawed, and the tail rotor blades struck the trailer. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor systems. The director of operations reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that he did a low-reconnaissance flight over the intended landing site, just to the east of a building. Shortly after, he realized that the landing site was changed to the west side of the building. He maneuvered the helicopter to a hover over a new landing site west of the building, about 75 feet above the ground, and started a vertical decent. During the decent, a company mechanic seated in left seat of the cockpit told the pilot of an obstacle to the left of the helicopter. He acknowledged seeing the obstacle and continued to descend. Shortly after touchdown, as the pilot reduced the throttle setting to idle, the main rotor blades struck an empty tractor trailer, the helicopter yawed, and the tail rotor blades struck the trailer. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor systems. The director of operations reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N827MW
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S 58JT (ET)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 58827
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 20,047
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3, 900 horsepower, turbo shaftPratt & Whitney PT6T-3, 900 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Midwest Helicopter Airways, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Midwest Truxton International Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · October 29, 2019
- Departed
- UMP · Indianapolis, IN
- Airport
- 6I4 · Boone County
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KTYQ, 11 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.