- Date
- November 16, 2001, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Swanee, GA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6101UEurocopter AS-350-BA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 53876
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 improper visual lookout while hovering the helicopter, which resulted in the helicopter's main rotor blades colliding with a light post.
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 stated that he was hovering the helicopter in front of a house, and the main rotor blades struck a driveway light post, removing the top ornament from the post. According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter immediately and secured it, but the blades had incurred damage as a result of them having struck the post. The pilot stated that prior to the accident, there were no failures or malfunctions to any of the helicopter's systems.
Factual narrative
On November 16, 2001, about 1600 eastern standard time, a Eurocopter AS-350-BA, N6101U, registered to, and operated by Williams Air Services Inc., as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 corporate flight, incurred damage to the main rotor blades in Swanee, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airline transport-rated pilot and four passengers were not injured, and the aircraft incurred substantial damage.
The pilot stated that he was hovering the helicopter in front of a house, and the main rotor blades struck a driveway light post, removing the top ornament from the post. According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter immediately and secured it, but the blades had incurred damage as a result of them having struck the post. The pilot stated that prior to the accident, there were no failures or malfunctions to any of the helicopter's systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6101U
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS-350-BA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2308
- Airframe hours
- 629.6
- Engine
- Turbomeca Arriel 1-B, 641 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Williams Air Services Inc.,
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 30, 2000 · 4.3 hours before
- Departed
- Swanee, GA
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 11, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,823 total · 557 in this make and model · 3,536 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN